Old Truths, New Beginnings
by shadowcaster01
Summary: After the battle at the Department of mysteries, Sirius' sudden departure sets off a chain of events that irrevocably changes the wizarding world forever.
1. Death

Hi, I'm back again. And I'm here with a crossover, which I hope you'll all enjoy. My muses finally convinced me start writing this down, and here is the result.

As always, I don't own either the Warcraft games or Harry Potter. The plot and OCs are mine, though. The first part of this story is an extract from the fifth Harry Potter book, from which this tale begins. It and all other extracts that I might use in the future will be written in **bold**. The usual rules for normal story text and _thoughts_ will apply here.

1 – Death

**It seemed to take Sirius an age to fall: his body curved in a graceful arc as he sank backwards through the ragged veil hanging from the arch. Harry saw the look of mingled fear and surprise on his godfather's once-handsome face as he fell through the ancient doorway and disappear behind the veil, which fluttered for a moment as though in a high wind, then fell back into place.**

**Harry heard Bellatrix Lestrange's triumphant scream, but knew it meant nothing – Sirius had only just fallen through the archway, he would reappear from the other side any second...**

**Sirius didn't reappear.**

"**SIRIUS!" Harry yelled. "SIRIUS!"**

**He had reached the floor, his breath coming in searing gasps. Sirius might be just behind the curtain, he, Harry, would pull him back out... But as he reached the ground and sprinted towards the dais, Lupin grabbed Harry around the chest, holding him back.**

"**There's nothing you can do, Harry-"**

"**Get him, save him, he's only just gone through!"**

"**-it's too late, Harry."**

"**We can still reach him-" Harry struggled hard and viciously, but Lupin would not let go..**

"**There's nothing you can do, Harry... nothing... he's gone."**

The first thing he heard was whispering. It sounded as though he had been crammed into a a room packed with people who didn't want to be overheard. He also discovered that the floor wasn't the stone platform he had been standing on not five minutes prior. Sirius found himself lying on a patch of grass; opening his eyes he saw a strange, vaporous mist enveloping the air around him, too thin to be considered fog.

Sirius stared at the sky, perplexed. How did he get to be outside, and was there a storm coming? Everything around him appeared to be grey, like some old, faded photograph. The whispering grew louder. Sirius jumped to his feet and whirled around.

"Who's there?" He called out into the mist nervously.

Sirius found his wand lying beside his foot in the grass. He bent to retrieve it and held it out before him, wondering what he might encounter in this strange place.

A rustling sound to his left had him peering out into a wall of trees up ahead of him, eyes scanning for movement. He was in a clearing of some sort, surrounded by large trees that dwarfed the ones he was familiar with from the forbidden forest. Sirius suddenly felt very small; he could barely see beyond the light afforded to him from the patch of sky overhead.

"Come..."

A soft voice carried through the trees, putting Sirius back on high alert. He was unsure of where the sound was coming from; it seemed to be from everywhere at once.

Another rustling sound told him to turn around, whereupon he found himself faced with a very strange sight. A hooded woman stood before him, her expression betraying absolutely nothing about her intentions. Sirius was shocked to discover that this girl wasn't human; a pair of snow-white wings sprouted from her back. The wings appeared to be about as long as she was tall.

"Hello?" Sirius called hesitantly, unsure of the creature standing there with him. "Can you help me?"

The woman looked at him impassively, her face giving no hint that she acknowledged his presence at all.

"Excuse me," he tried again, lowering his wand. "I really need some help, here."

"Wizard," She whispered, with the same soft voice he had heard just moments before. "It is not yet your time."

"What do you mean?" Sirius asked, bewildered at the cryptic words.

"It is not your time," She repeated, as if She hadn't heard his question. The winged woman raised an arm, pointing directly at him.

"You are here in both body and spirit," She stated monotonously. "I cannot send you back to where you were from-" The hand lowered.

"Wait," Sirius spluttered. "What?"

"-but I can return you to the Land of the Living," the woman continued, as if he hadn't interrupted.

"Land of the-" Sirius' eyes widened.

The woman spoke again, this time Her voice was louder, almost at a normal talking level.

"This is the Spirit World, human," She drawled humourlessly. "Only the souls of the dead are granted safe passage here."

Her arm lifted again.

"It is not yet your time, mortal. You do not belong here." The soft voice became steely as She spoke the words a third time.

"What happens now?" Sirius asked her. "How do I get out, or get back?"

The immortal being regarded him silently for a moment, unaffected by the panicked edge that was slowly creeping into Sirius' voice.

"Please," he begged Her. "I _have_ to get back. There's a war going on; they need me there! _Harry_ needs me!"

The woman's face didn't change; Her gaze was unyielding as stone, yet it seemed to look both at him and through him simultaneously.

"I cannot send you back to where you were from," She said again, Her voice reverting to its former whispering tones. "I can return you to the Land of the Living."

"_Then_ what?"

"Find an esteemed escort," She replied tonelessly. "They shall help to guide you home."

Sirius' eyes brightened at the thought. The was hope for him after all! He schooled his face into a notably less excited expression.

"Where will I find this escort?" he asked.

"_They_ shall find _you_," She told him. "This is not yet your time, Wizard. The world has much more in wait of you, with many a trouble on the road ahead."

Sirius blinked at her name for him, surprised. The winged woman's arms rose before her, palms facing him.

"Heed my warning, mortal, and ye shall find the path you seek."

She began to fade, her words somehow managing to reach him in his confusion at this sudden turn of events.

"It is not yet your time," She called out softly. "Good luck, Wizard..."

And the world's colours swarmed around him before everything went black.


	2. Forest

**A/N** __Hello again, sorry about the long wait. I've had a bunch of things on my plate recently, and couldn't seem to find the time to upload my second chapter. I was also spending much time racking my brains to come up with the best way to follow my opening scene.__

_Thanks to all of you who have alerted, added this to favourites, or are just following this for now. I value your support, and hope that you all will enjoy this right to the very end._

_Of course, I haven't forgotten my reviewers. Your comments are also well appreciated; feel free to add any other thoughts you have, if you wish. A very big thank you to the following:_

_Waveblade_

_Isangtao_

_Blinded in a bolthole_

_henxu_

_a really beast pen name_

_jdboss_

_Swampflare_

_With all of my appreciation and thanks out of the way, I think I can now start off chapter 2._

* * *

><p><strong>Forest <strong>

Sirius awoke to bright sunshine filtering through leafy foliage overhead. He squinted, shading his eyes with one hand while reaching for his wand with the other. He was in the same position as the last time, lying on his back in what he guessed was the clearing he'd been standing in earlier. Sirius rose to his feet a second time, taking in his surroundings with an air of caution. The forest was peaceful, but he was uncertain of what to expect here; nothing seemed familiar enough to set him at ease – even the birdsong sounded strange.

He took a moment to stare at the emerald shaded canopy overhead. From the looks of things, Sirius guessed that it was around midday. The trees were still the giants that he had spotted before, with long branches extending to blot out most of the sky. The boughs were almost impossible to reach. Sirius was sure that, to even touch the first branch, he would have to use a broom to fly up there to sit on the lowest one. The trees weren't the only plant that surprised him, some of the bushes nearby were almost colossal in comparison to the ones Sirius was used to ducking behind back home in Britain. The ones here in this forest seemed large enough to be counted as trees themselves.

Britain. The very thought stirred up mixed feelings. Although he was glad to finally be rid of those sneering, pureblood traditionalists – not to mention the fame of being a cold blooded killer, Sirius was anxious to leave. He wanted to escape this strange place with its dwarfing vegetation – and possibly animals of the same size – to return home, where he could aid and comfort his godson, Harry.

Harry.

_The boy must be distraught_, Sirius mused silently. _He probably thinks I'm dead, and anyone would know that he doesn't need any more stress put on his shoulders._

Sirius knew that he was a good kid, but all the tragedy that he had seen, and at such a young age – Sirius was sure that if much more was forced on him, the boy would surely break.

"He needs me," Sirius whispered solemnly, saddened. "Don't worry Harry, I'm coming. Somehow, I'll get to you."

* * *

><p>Sirius meandered his way along the forest floor, wary of the raised tree roots that were in his way. Most of the time, he was able to jump or climb over them, but a few instances had Sirius retracing his steps to circumnavigate the tree he was passing. Many of the roots had a gnarled appearance to them, as if the forest itself was wearing them all down. They were incredibly tall - waist high was the most common, but others were larger than that. Sirius pushed himself over a particularly thick one, almost falling flat on his face when he made it over the top.<p>

"This is ridiculous," he muttered to himself, brushing off the dirt and dust. "I wish I had a broom, it would make this so much easier."

Sirius dodged an overhanging branch from a nearby bush, but ended up careening into a smaller, second one he had yet to notice. The silvery, spiny leaves slashed at his arms, which were protecting his face from the brunt of the attack. He left the encounter with long, shallow gashes covering his arms. Sirius promised himself to heal those later, when he had found a safe place to stop and rest; as much of his surroundings still put him on edge. What concerned him the most was that he had yet to come across any living creature - sentient or not - and it didn't help much with his suspicious nature.

He had already been walking for several hours – at least he guessed that much time had passed. The already subdued lighting provided through the trees above him was beginning to fade. Sirius knew he didn't have all that much time to find shelter for the night; he was certain that, although he hadn't seen anything during the day, there must be some kind of creature that would be lurking around soon.

Sirius paused, gazing up at the now dark canopy above him. He could already see the deep tones of twilight creeping overhead.

"It must be later than I thought," He mused aloud, tightening his grip on his wand. "There's _got_ to be some place I can find."

Sirius glanced down at his hand, struck by an idea.

"My wand..." he murmured, eyes widening. "How could I have been so stupid?"

After wandering around for several hours, not once did Sirius think to use a spell to help his situation. The only time he'd considered it was when he injured himself while navigating past all the vegetation around him. Sirius shaded his eyes with his free hand, frustrated with himself.

"Why didn't I think of this sooner? I _am_ a wizard, am I not?"

He guessed that it was due to all those years without his wand that he had never thought about using magic here in this forest. Sirius considered himself lucky that Dumbledore had acquired him one when he had escaped from Azkaban. Those extra years of hiding hadn't helped either, since he was supposed to remain under the radar, to use a muggle saying - whatever those were...

Sirius continued to stare at his wand, silently running through the extensive list of spells he had accumulated. He considered his situation: he was getting cold, hungry, and needed shelter for the night. Several spells came to mind and with a flourish, Sirius cast them all in rapid succession, relieved that his problems had finally been solved.

Settling down before the raging campfire before him, Sirius sent a cursory glance over at the newly conjured pot hovering above it.

_I guess it's good that I'm not a muggle,_ he mused. _I wonder what would have happened if I didn't remember my wand? _Sirius brushed the thought away with a sigh. _Doesn't matter now._

The tent behind him wasn't the best, but Sirius figured that it would have to do. The wards he placed around his campsite eased some of his anxiety about being in a place he didn't recognise. Sirius leaned back, pondering over that winged woman's words. He was puzzled; where did he end up? Who would help him out? And most importantly: how would he return home? Sirius' questions were still replaying in his head as he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>AN **_There's part two. I'm already working on ch3, which I hope will be posted much sooner than this one was. Thanks again for all the support, and until next time, peace out._

_Shadowcaster01_


	3. Fauna

**A/N**_ Hello all! As promised, I've put together part three and am not going to make you all wait for a month to see it. It's much longer than the last two, and hopefully works out just right. _

_I may put in a few more extracts like this one to show how time passes on the HP side of things..._

_The following piece is from chapter 37 of book five, in case anyone wants to look on._

_Thank you to henxu for your review; I hope this one will be long enough for you._

…**...**

Fauna

**Harry's feet hit solid ground; his knees buckled a little and the golden wizard's head fell with a resounding _clunk_ to the floor. He looked around and saw that he had arrived in Dumbledore's office.**

**Everything seemed to have repaired itself during the Headmaster's absence. The delicate silver instruments stood once more on the spindle-legged tables, puffing and whirring serenely. The portraits of the headmasters and headmistresses were snoozing in their frames, heads lolling back in their armchairs or against the edge of the picture. Harry looked through the window. There was a cool line of pale green along the horizon; dawn was approaching.**

**The silence and the stillness, broken only by the occasional grunt or snuffle of a sleeping portrait, was unbearable to him. If his surroundings could have reflected the feelings inside him, the pictures would have been screaming in pain. He walked around the quiet, beautiful office, breathing quickly, trying not to think. But he had to think... there was no escape...**

**It was his fault Sirius had died; it was all his fault. If he, Harry, had not been stupid enough to fall for Voldemort's trick, if he had not been so convinced that what he had seen in his dream was real, if he had only opened his mind to the possibility that Voldemort was, as Hermione had said, banking on Harry's _love of playing the hero_...**

**It was unbearable, he would not think about it, he could not stand it... there was a terrible hollow inside him he did not want to feel or examine, a dark hole where Sirius had been, where Sirius had vanished; he did not want to have to be alone with that great, silent space, he could not stand it – **

**A picture behind him gave a particularly loud grunting snore, and a cool voice said, "Ah... Harry Potter..." **

…**...**

Sirius jerked back into consciousness at the sound of rustling coming from his left. He sat up abruptly, bleary eyed, scanning through the undergrowth nearby to determine what was there. Sirius fished his wand out of his coat pocket, assuming a firm grip over it in case this intruder was dangerous. His wards that he had placed were only protecting the small area around himself and his campfire – he didn't include the surrounding bushes, as he had figured it wouldn't be necessary. He began to regret that decision.

The rustling grew louder, shaking those bushes about wildly. Sirius stumbled to his feet to meet the threat, hoping that he would be able to dispatch this unknown foe before it could get to him. He didn't know enough about this place to feel particularly confident towards the upcoming encounter. Sirius pointed his wand at the bush and waited with baited breath for what he was sure would come.

The noise stopped. Sirius tightened his grip on his wand, his gaze still fixed on the now still branch. He crept closer. A blur of white flashed past him, startling Sirius. He was forced to take a step backwards, tripping over the remains of his campfire that had long since burned out. His eyes scanned the perimeter to find the attacker. The discovery surprised him when he finally spotted it.

It was a rabbit. Sirius blinked owlishly, momentarily stunned and having a strange urge to laugh. He gave in, chucking at how ridiculous the encounter turned out, yet relieved that it was nowhere near as life threatening as he'd imagined it could be. The appearance of this critter set him at ease; this small rabbit reassured him that even if much was different here in this strange forest, there would always be something familiar to remind him of home. Although he was surprised that a rabbit had been the one to quell his anxieties, it was also a relief.

Sirius felt a pang of home sickness wash over him like a tidal wave. Something so insignificant caused him to think back to the days when he attended Hogwarts, where such small, docile creatures were fairly abundant on the castle grounds as well as the forbidden forest – and those were places he was extensively familiar with.

He shook his head to dispel those thoughts, reluctant to dwell on anything even remotely upsetting for too long. And nostalgia was sure to be one of those. Glancing back down at the rabbit before him, Sirius smiled, glad that so far, everything was alright. He reseated himself on the soft grass and leaf litter on the forest floor, watching the hare as it bounded back through the brush and out of sight. Sirius continued to gaze at the spot for a few moments, lost in thought. He was content that there was at least one thing around here that he would be able to recognise.

Setting his gaze up overhead, Sirius squinted, shading his eyes from the bright sunlight streaming in through the trees. He guessed that it was most likely mid morning, as the light wasn't bearing down on him like it had been when he'd woken up the day before – rather, it seemed to be coming in from an angle. Sirius sighed, resigning himself to yet another day of trekking through bushes, raised tree roots and piles of leaf litter.

_Might as well get started, then._ Sirius thought to himself._ Maybe this time I'll run into someone._

Sirius knew that his chances of meeting anyone within the next twenty four hours in such a large area of land were quite slim. This did not deter him from hoping, however. To be more to the point, Sirius had wanted the past day to have been nothing more than a dream, with him waking up back in his room at Grimmauld Place. He'd even be glad to see Kreacher right now, however strange that sounded. Yes, he hated the place and yes, Kreacher was intolerable – but at least he'd be certain of things there. Being free to move around as he wished was one thing, but waking up in a place he didn't recognise was another thing altogether. He was currently out of his element, and that concerned him.

Sirius flattened that train of thought before it could proceed any further. He was thinking about way too many troubling issues recently. To distract himself, Sirius set about canceling his wards placed around his campsite, as well as shrinking his tent and supplies to fit in his pocket. Lastly, Sirius removed all evidence of the campfire. He nodded to himself in satisfaction when all was in order. Glancing back up at the canopy, Sirius attempted to gauge compass points for future reference before he remembered himself and paused. He conjured a compass for himself and opted to go by accurate readings instead, wanting to avoid any mishaps with direction in the near future.

To hopefully lengthen the daylight hours available to him, Sirius decided that heading west would probably be the best option at the moment. He could always change directions later. Sirius gathered his meager belongings and headed out, occasionally looking back down at the compass in his hand as he went.

…**...**

It was a few hours later that Sirius found himself in another clearing. Ahead of him, the calm waters of the river bank seemed inviting after two days of walking. Despite this, he decided against plunging into the river, reasoning that something dangerous might live within the unknown depths. Sirius didn't hesitate to collect water, though; he found no fault in taking advantage of what was readily available. Sirius conjured three buckets of water and, after filling them, closed lids over them. He muttered a quick shrinking spell to store them in one of his pockets, for later use.

Glancing up at the sky, Sirius noted that it had probably reached the early hours of afternoon. A few large, white clouds drifted past, shadowing the sun for a moment. Sirius closed his eyes. He knew he had a choice: there was the South bank, where he was certain that he'd spotted a small cave a ways down – stream; the North bank was clear, but there was less to determine about it as it continued around a bend in the river, obscuring his view.

After deciding on the former, Sirius picked up his pace, hoping to reach the cave as soon as possible, so he could avoid any mishaps later on. As he trudged along, Sirius began to feel a bit edgy; the plants he passed on his way to the cave were massive – at least twice his height. It made him wonder just what kind of plant would grow so fast, and in such large numbers. He could have sworn that several were swaying, but there was not even a hint of a breeze to support that theory, so he abandoned the thought, accrediting it to his magical upbringing, and wild imagination – which happened whenever he was uneasy. Sirius passed one which looked suspiciously humanoid in shape, and another – he could have sworn it was staring at him! But, plants don't have eyes here, do they?

Sirius' musings were stopped short when he heard rustling sound off from behind. He pivoted to face it and was surprised by what was there. It appeared to be one of the large plants he'd seen growing on this side of the river. It was silt brown with green undertones, and seemed to be comprised of seaweed. Looking closer, Sirius realised that it really had been staring at him earlier, as there was a hint of curiosity in its beady, yellow eyes. It reminded him of those monsters that he'd heard muggles rave on about – the ones that lived in the swamp. Something about a film? Was that the right word-?

The creature lurched closer, its long arms swinging limply at its sides. A loud gurgle erupted from its throat, arms stretching out towards him. In an astonishing feat of speed ad strength, it swiped at Sirius, intending to knock him over. Sirius ducked and dodged the attacks, mind racing, figuring that he had to escape, and fast. The creature was closing the gap between them, and he didn't have much time left.

_Maybe I could avoid it in the river,_ he thought to himself. _But would I be fast enough?_

Sirius doubted that it would be wise, noting that the creature's appearance suggested that it would most likely be at home in the water. He decided that it would be best to get himself out of harm's way as soon as possible, not wanting to risk dueling the creature when he wasn't sure of its vulnerabilities and resistances to any spells he might cast. Thinking back to the river bank on the east side, Sirius spun on his heel, apparating out of the creature's reach with a loud _crack! _After the tight squeeze through the darkness, Sirius sighed in relief when he found himself back where he had started, at the east bank.

With a shake of his head, Sirius opted that the North side should be an easier route, seeing as there was no obstacle that he could discern up ahead. He hoped that he wouldn't have to face one of those strange things again.

…**...**

**A/N** _That's it for now! It won't be too much longer before Sirius finds himself in company of other people, but I won't tell you exactly when. I'll try to post part four soon._

_Peace out,_

_Shadowcaster01_


	4. Lake

_Hello everyone!_

_I apologise for the incredibly long wait; I'm sure that you've all been wondering what will happen next. As always, I thank my readers who have followed, added to favourites or reviewed this story. Your comments are welcome here, so be sure to say what you think._

_I owe you all several chapters, and there will be another to follow shortly – after I fix a few things, of course. Thanks again for all of your support, and I hope that you enjoy this to the end…_

…**..**

**Lake**

Sirius stood in the waist deep shallows of the river, dumping a bucket of water over his head. He shivered as the icy water made contact, jolting him into alert wakefulness. It was his third day out in this strange new forest, and its tranquil environment still made him uneasy. He hadn't spoken aloud for the past twenty four hours, and when he'd been swearing violently earlier that very morning, his voice had come out as a hoarse croak, parched from disuse and lack of water. It had been difficult to keep hydrated when Sirius was focusing most of his attention on his surroundings, still paranoid about possible attacks. He figured this side of him had grown much worse after his constant association with the Order, especially Mad Eye Moody and his repetitive exclamations of "Constant vigilance!"

His luck had not been on his side since the moment he woke up a few hours before. Sirius found several of his newly conjured possessions missing, and all of his food was gone. Not only that, but his arms and legs were covered in strange rashes and itched like crazy. He was furious when the culprit had been discovered; a pair of small spiders had situated themselves on his hands. After brushing them off of himself hurriedly, he took a moment to commit their appearance to memory, in case he spotted them again. They looked fairly ordinary – a murky brown, with no real distinguishing features. Sirius was positive that this must be some sort of common forest spider, different to the similar looking arachnids back home - hence why he was currently dumping water over himself.

After he was finally satisfied with the effectiveness of the water – hopefully ridding himself of those pests – Sirius uttered the drying spell, waving his wand vaguely over his head. He waded out of the shallow water and repeated the process on the bank. Sirius sighed, exasperated with everything that had occurred over the past few days. Although he had attempted to deter from dwelling on those matters, Sirius found himself thinking back to the events that led him to this place. He frowned, casting his gaze up at the canopy above.

"I wonder how large this forest is," Sirius mused aloud.

Sirius flicked his wand yet again, watching as a rolled up slip of parchment materialized in his left hand. He unrolled it carefully so as not to damage it; the yellowed page crackled, protesting against Sirius' actions. His eyes flicked down at the parchment. He blinked.

"What?" Sirius croaked, baffled. It was blank. Turning it over, he discovered that the reverse side was exactly the same. Waving his wand again he repeated the spell, only to find that nothing had changed. Sirius glared at the object in his hands, frustrated.

"Everything else has worked so far," he muttered angrily. "But why this, why now?"

He doubted that there would be a prompt answer to that question, especially since he _still _hadn't run into anyone yet. Sirius' mind reeled. Maybe this new land didn't have people? What if this was an undiscovered part of the world, where civilization was too far away to notice? But, that made no sense! The strange being had assured him that there was someone here - that they would find him. How far did he have to go before said help would meet him? There were too many questions, and the answers to them had proven to be scarce, whereas the number of questions had increased exponentially with every new obstacle that he found.

"What spells will work here?"

Sirius surprised himself by saying this aloud, having heard his own voice only a few times that morning. Each time, it seemed to be stronger, and the croak that punctuated his speech was finally beginning to disappear.

"I guess now is the best time to find out…"

Sirius withdrew his wand for the umpteenth time, from its usual place in his sleeve. He had to wonder why it was always finding its way to his back pocket, but that mystery could be resolved later.

"Okay, let's try the disarming spell – _wait!_" His arm lowered as he hesitated. "No opponent, it will be difficult to replicate. Especially sine the only things nearby are trees."

Sirius ambled his way further along the river bank, muttering to himself as he went.

"So far, I know that I'm able to perform simple conjurations and possible house charms…"

As he continued along the bank, the river's far side sharply receded from view. Further ahead, Sirius could make out something similar to a small dock jutting out a short way over the water.

"A dock in the lake," Sirius murmured, a small smile threatening to show itself on his face. "That must mean that I'm close!"

The grin – that so quickly appeared – faded when several familiar shapes came into view.

"Merlin," He breathed, frowning. "Not _those_ again…"

Their lumbering forms inched along the grasses of the forest floor, the same colouring as before. There was a larger number of them grouped here – with several huddled together, staring disinterestedly into space. Their groaning and gurgling could be heard even from his distance, which he guessed was approximately up to around half a kilometer at most.

Sirius gripped his wand tightly, wondering how to avoid them. He was so close to a settlement – he was certain – and figured that apparating back would only hinder his progress. He had to move forward, but how? Without a moment more of hesitation, Sirius started ahead, knowing that he would need to face something eventually, so why not now? The only problem to resolve at this stage was how to clear away a path for himself, without allowing any chance to be surrounded.

There was a slight raise of land forming to his right, which had increased in height by the time he had reached the dock. A rocky hillside now framed the north end of the lake, studded with clusters of trees and bushes, with the occasional gap revealing the green grass and purple wildflowers that commonly littered the forest floor. Birdsong became more prevalent here, as did the appearance of several recognizable animals including rabbits, deer and chipmunks. Sirius spied a grey and black striped cat – an apparent mix between a tiger and its ancient predecessor – the sabre toothed tiger. It prowled amongst the trees on one of the rocky outcrops of the hill.

Sirius picked his way along the river, this time hugging the rocky slopes of the hills beside him. He had found this to be surprisingly easy, since there were less of those tall, gnarly roots for him to trip over. These rocks were much smoother too. For the first few minutes, this strategy seemed to work well for him. Sirius noted that there was a certain distance he could maintain from those swap-like creatures, ensuring that they were unable to detect his presence. Upon discovering this, Sirius was relieved; he found himself thinking ahead, about the possibility of meeting people here at last.

Afterwards, Sirius found, it wasn't so lucky. Whist he was deep in thought, Sirius stepped too close to one of the creatures. Its beady eyes swiveled around to focus on the temporarily oblivious wizard, and lurched its way over to him. The sudden increase in volume startled Sirius, who spun around to find himself faced with one of the strange beings again.

Its arm swept the space ahead of it in a wide arc, forcing Sirius to dart backwards, nearly dropping his wand. He held it out in front of himself protectively once he had safely moved out of reach. The thing lunged at him again, and Sirius finally found an opening to respond.

"Stupefy!" He bellowed, aiming the spell at the creature's eyes.

Nothing happened, and it left the wizard wide open for attack. The creature swung out again, its arms clipping Sirius over the head, knocking him to the ground. Sirius glanced up at it, anticipating the final swing, but it never came. There was a bellow from behind him, catching the creature's attention briefly. Sirius scrambled backwards, attempting to raise himself to his feet. The thing spotted his movement and lunged for him a final time. The arm missed Sirius by centimetres, and the wizard overestimated his steps, falling to the ground yet again.

It loomed over Sirius, its gurgling at the loudest he had ever heard it. He briefly wondered if he was going to come out of this confrontation alive. Suddenly, a green light flared, hitting his attacker square in the chest. As it fell bonelessly to the ground, Sirius tried to turn to see out what had caused the creature's demise. He was never given the chance – he soon found his world going to black once again…

…**.**

_So, there you have it! Part four is now complete._

_Don't worry Isangtao, I won't let Sirius have too much power. I had hoped that this point wouldn't be mentioned yet in a review, since I was planning on having his new weaknesses shown here when he faced one of these creatures again. Very good observation, though._

_If no one is able to guess what it is after a couple more chapters, I'll let you guys know in my A/N at the end of one of my newer chapters. Although, I think that it would be fairly easy to guess now if you've played the game often enough. I can tell you this, next chapter will make everything blaringly obvious, and I'll leave it at that. You'll see fairly soon what I mean._

_Peace out,_

_Shadowcaster01_


	5. The Spirit World

_Hello again!_

_I didn't realize how long it's been since I last updated for this story… You'll be happy to note, however, that your wait is finally at an end! Okay, that sounded lame, but I can't be bothered to take it out, so I'll leave it there… A big thank you to all those who have alerted or have been following, and the same goes for my reviewers. I'm really grateful for all your support, and I know I say it all the time, but thanks!_

_It took me a little while to introduce this next part and make it work _just_ right. I appreciate your patience and hope you enjoy part 5…_

_(edit): Sorry about the repost, the doc manager didn't like the symbols I was using for the shaman's mind voice. The = are to represent his speech as a wolf._

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><p><strong>The Spirit World<strong>

Deep shades of emerald, grey and purple flew past feline paws as they pounded in a steady rhythm across the grass. Long legs launched her forward in powerfully graceful strides, faster that most predators in the area. The smell of the forests of her homeland always set the cat at ease, even more so when she ran; it was so full of life, she could feel it emanating from everything surrounding her.

A warm sensation of power pulsing at her neck gave the cat pause, although it didn't make her change pace. The amulet swinging from her neck reminded her that she was here on a mission; there was no time to become sidetracked. She focused inward, establishing a temporary link with the enchantments on the trinket. As she did this, the cat felt another consciousness there to greet her. It was alien, and at the same time, familiar. A soft, masculine voice emanated in her mind, the aura behind it filling her with a sense of wonder.

=Head south east, beyond Lake Al'Ameth. I sense that it is near the haunt of Sathrah, at the edge of the forest.=

The cat picked up the pace, transitioning from a run to a full out sprint.

=Be cautious, young druid. We have yet to know if it is a threat.=

The druid needed no more explanation, her paws moving in a blur as she ran at full speed. The mission she had been sent on was nearing completion. Soon she would race back over to Darnassus and restock on supplies, before she made the final leg of her journey home. The one who had given her this task was waiting for her back in Stormwind, the very capital of the Alliance forces these days.

To her left, the river faded into view. Stopping briefly, the druid refilled her water skins after replenishing her thirst. She hadn't run with such urgency in a long time, not since –

=Druid, the disturbance is shifting. We need to get a look at it before it disappears. Hurry.=

After the brief few moments in her humanoid form, the druid sighed resignedly. She waded out into the water, eyes closed in concentration. A manatee appeared in her place, gliding swiftly under the current, keeping close to the river bed. Several timberlings forced her to dodge and weave her way around, just out of reach of the swamp green-brown creatures. The typical gurgling was much louder underwater than on land, and she winced inwardly at the wretched sound.

At the east bank, the manatee became a cat again, speeding past the trees and foliage around her. As she progressed, the druid noticed a few things that seemed off about this section of the forest. The number of animals in the area had dropped significantly; not even the solitary silkspinners were anywhere in sight. Birdsong had all but ceased, the only trills coming from at least a league away. It was deserted and quiet… too quiet.

=Druid, the disturbance is just up ahead in that small clearing. Approach it with caution. There may be rogues of your order here.=

The cat had been so absorbed in her thoughts, she didn't realize that she had reached her destination. It was the moment of truth, to find out what had happened here, to see the cause of the sudden abandonment of this area. The different scenarios ran themselves through her head, each one worse than the last. She had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, dreading the possible outcome of the encounter. The druid took a deep breath and released it slowly, attempting to center herself to keep calm. She had often wondered why she had been chosen for this particular mission, rather than someone else. The shaman who had assigned her reassured the druid that it was indeed her duty to fulfill.

The cat slowed her pace, focusing on the clearing ahead and checking for any signs of these renegade druids that the shaman had mentioned. She had never met one before, and was unsure of what to expect. The stories she had heard depicted quite the picture of how horrible these once-druids had become.

=Return to your original form and approach the center slowly.=

The cat nodded, closing her eyes once again. Her form flickered; tail retracting as her legs lengthened, paws morphing into hands. The druid stood, unfazed, reaching up to sweep a strand of dark hair out of her eyes. She stepped forward, brushing a spiny silverleaf branch to the side. She entered the clearing.

=Place my amulet in the middle and remain alert. I will do the rest.=

The druid raised the chain up and over her head. She knelt down on the soft earth, setting the amulet down gently onto a small pile of purple wildflowers and green moss. It was a simple trinket: a self-bored stone fitted into a smoothed out piece of willow bark. The etched runes along the sides glowed a bright amber, illuminating the old tree rings in its design. The amulet's size drastically underestimated the sheer amount of power within; it was not larger than the palm of her hand. The druid slipped into her defensive stance with a fluidity only the most experienced fighters could ever replicate. In these times, however, that included most of the population of Azeroth.

The druid redirected her attention back to the amulet, which was shining brighter than ever. She shielded her eyes, temporarily dazzled by the intensity of the light. It died down as suddenly as it came, engulfing the clearing in a sudden bout of darkness before everything returned to normal. The immense feeling of power she had felt upon entering the clearing had now doubled, and she marveled at the complexity of the amulet, hoping that it would be able to combat the disturbance.

A ghostly image appeared above the amulet, drawing the druid's attention back to the matter at hand. As it shimmered into focus, she realized that it was a spirit wolf, the form favored by shamans for their life's path. The white wolf nodded to her, acknowledging her presence. Then, it spoke.

=Be prepared, druid. Anything could happen while I investigate. You need to be alert. Protect the amulet while I convene with the spirits about this. Good luck.=

The druid nodded in understanding, watching as the spirit wolf phased out of the mortal plane and into the spirit realm. She pulled out her smooth, wooden quarterstaff, which was situated at her back, between her shoulder blades. Holding it out before her defensively, the druid shifted half of her attention on her surroundings and the other on the shaman's amulet on the ground

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><p>The ghost wolf watched as the young druid nodded in understanding of his instructions. The shaman was pleased with her progress so far; the girl had been chosen for this task because of her close connections to the area. As everyone in Azeroth knew, there wasn't a single person who knew the lay of the land in Teldrassil forest as well as a night elf. As it was her homeland, she knew all of the short cuts and concealed trails. The druid had surprised him, however, with the speed and determination she had displayed on the journey here.<p>

The shaman observed the world shift around him; colors dulled and the denizens of the spirit realm passed him by, barely uttering a word. The usual whispering met his ears, a sound that would drive any normal mortal being mad – but his shamanic training droned out the worst intentions of those who had long since passed on.

The wolf counted slowly in his head, waiting for the moment that his medium would arrive. He remained standing, all too aware of the dangers that would come about if he let down his guard. There was a reason why mortals were not permitted in this realm; it was known as one of the most perilous planes of existence in Azeroth. The only accepted entry for normal folk was through death, and the consequences were dire if it wasn't followed: it ended in your doom. Even a shaman was subject to this universal ruling if he didn't go through proper procedure. Every protégé knew the importance of a guide.

His medium had yet to make an appearance and the wolf was growing concerned. He knew how dangerous it already was being there in the realm in the first place, but without his guide, he'd be treated the same way as any other hapless mortal who accidentally stumbled into this place; he would never return, forced to wander the mists of the spirit world for eternity – never leaving the spot he entered.

The shaman shivered at the thought, horrified at the direction his mind was taking him. Refocusing his center, he stood patiently, restarting the countdown of time before his guide was due to arrive. The shaman was relieved when his hopes were fulfilled; a large hippogriff materialized before him trilling its arrival. The ghost wolf smiled inwardly, relaxing slightly. He approached the creature, giving it the traditional bow in greeting. It bowed to him in return and beckoned him to follow it into the mists up ahead. The shaman obeyed wordlessly.

Just outside of the clearing was a small cluster of trees, with intertwining branches twirling around each other to touch the top of the canopy. Under it hovered a wisp, which floated away as he neared the roots of the trees. He didn't have to wait for long before he heard a gentle voice echo softly through the area.

"Come," it whispered. "I know you're there."

The shaman followed the instructions, certain that this being was the one he needed to speak with.

"Closer, mortal," the feminine voice sighed through the trees.

Stepping forward, the shaman stood in front of one of the most powerful creatures of the spirit realm. It was rare for any mortal to see her, even a shaman. The only times she could be spotted were either during a near-death experience and the even rarer occasions that she would deem it necessary to speak with a mortal. She was the Great Spirit Healer, an immortal being who granted passage into her realm. She was all knowing, one of the few supernatural forces present on the spiritual plane. Usually neutral, the spirit healer was known to have been benevolent on several occasions, granting some mortal travellers a second chance at their life.

Shaking his head, the shaman returned to the task at hand, surprised by his wandering thoughts. The spirit healer hovered in place, her eyes blank and staring into his very soul. He returned her gaze evenly, as etiquette dictated.

"What is it that you need to know, shaman?" She asked him, noting the dark feathered hippogriff standing behind the wolf in front of her.

=Spirit healer,= he inclined his head. =I am here to investigate the strange magical disturbance in this part of Teldrassil forest.=

"I know of what you speak, shaman," She droned.

The shaman nodded solemnly, relived at her straightforwardness. He paused a moment to think over his words before he spoke again.

=What was it that caused this?=

"The being was not a malevolent one," She replied. "I could see no evil in his aura, only sadness in his heart."

The shaman stared at the immortal being, puzzled.

=Not malevolent?= He repeated incredulously. =What is this being's purpose here?=

"There was no purpose, he was only a victim of circumstance," She stated monotonously.

=An accident?= He was bewildered at this change of events, unsure of what to make of the situation.

"Yes, mortal," She replied. "The stranger asked for a way out, and so I gave him one."

The shaman blinked in surprise.

"He does not belong," the spirit continued. "You must send him back, as my power cannot return him there. The stranger's presence could cause unrest if the Druids of the Flame discover his existence."

=What should I do?=

"Send an experienced fighter to find him. You must grant him safe passage." The spirit healer began to fade away, her final words reaching his ears as she disappeared.

"Find the human, and send him back home. The very fate of Azeroth rests on your shoulders."

As the shaman bid farewell to his spirit guide, he dwelled on the new information that had been presented to him. It was alarming that a being from another plane had ended up here in Azeroth. The knowledge this person possessed could prove deadly if it fell into the wrong hands. It was also concerning that this being was human. They would be able to blend in with the original Azerothian inhabitants quite easily, which meant that it could prove difficult to find him. For all the shaman knew, this human could be on a boat to Stormwind by now.

He sighed, pushing the thoughts aside for a moment to focus on his return to the physical plane. As the colors brightened and spirits disappeared, the shaman wondered how this new task would be accomplished, and how long it might take until it was finished.

* * *

><p>The druid stood, still and silent, waiting for the shaman to return. She had been in the clearing for several hours by this time, as she noted that the sun was beginning to set. Even as the light grew dim, the elf didn't dare build a fire, in case there was an ambush somewhere in the trees surrounding her. It would not only notify them of her exact location, but also render her night vision useless. The druid instead opted to remain still and silent, eyes and ears alert for anything out of the ordinary.<p>

A soft breeze whistled through the trees, gently rustling the leaves and blowing through her hair. She ran a hand over her head, brushing the flyaway strands out of her pale face. The druid was almost ready to admit that there was no one around to threaten her position, but she knew from experience that terrible things could happen if you let your guard down in a potentially dangerous area.

Another pulse of power thrummed through the clearing, bathing it in a bright light. Turning her head towards the center of the area, the elf saw that it was the amulet again, its etched runes burning a fiery red. She maintained a safe distance from the trinket, well aware of the risk of interfering with a powerful magical artifact. The light died down, plunging the clearing into darkness for a moment before a faint white glow took its place.

The spirit wolf had returned, engulfed in a shimmering aura of otherworldly origins. The elf relaxed, relieved that her part of the mission was almost over. She bowed to the shaman respectfully and waited for him to speak.

=Druid, my journey to the spirit world has brought both good and bad news. On a positive note, the disturbance I had sensed was caused by the spirit realm connecting to ours.=

The druid sighed in relief, returning her staff to its rightful place at her back.

=I've been informed that a human from another world plane has arrived in ours. This person is not with evil intentions, but their knowledge could cause chaos in Azeroth if it is left unchecked.=

The druid frowned, and then spoke for the first time that day.

"What are we to do about it?" She asked. "If their presence here is so dangerous, how are we supposed to respond?"

=We must track down the stranger and send him away. The spirits say that this is the best course of action.=

She sank to her knees on the forest floor, pondering the situation.

=They are unsure of how the stranger appeared in the spirit realm. We will have to find out.=

The spirit wolf stared up at the sky for a moment, seemingly lost in thought. He returned his gaze to the druid, who was currently sitting cross legged on the ground.

=Druid, you need to bring the amulet back to me. It will have picked up on the magical signatures of the visitor here in the physical plane..=

The wolf began to disappear.

=Keep your eye out for the human, I will be awaiting your arrival in Stormwind. I'm counting on you.=

The druid stood as the shaman vanished, certain that the threat, if there even was one, had left. Noting the darkness of the canopy above, she decided to make camp for the night. She was a little tired from her trek through Teldrassil, she had run all the way, seemingly without pause. She knew that it would be best to start her journey back to Darnassus in the morning.

The druid switched back over to her cat form, certain that it would be more comfortable for her that way, and curled up on top of the soft moss in the center of the clearing. She closed her eyes and waited patiently for the moment that sleep would take over.

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><p><em>So, that's it. Thanks again for your patience, and I hope that you enjoyed this chapter. I was surprised to find that the word count for this was about 3000 words. My longest chapter so far!<em>

_I am glad that you've liked my story, The Epicest Writer. _

_And Isangtao, I hope this satisfies your curiosity regarding your questions over the past couple chapters._

_It won't be long before part 6 goes up, I just have to find time to type it up. I'm starting work on chapter 7, so things are really going to pick from here._

_Until next time: hang tight, and don't fall out of you metaphorical seats._

_Peace out,_

_Shadowcaster01_


	6. A small community

_Hello! I know it's been a while, but I think I've got this one the way I want it. This is going to be a long one as well, so I hope you all enjoy it. As always, thanks to all of you who alerted or added this to favorites. I value your support and hope you'll keep following to the very end. _

_I haven't forgotten my reviewers, so a big thank you goes to Alcyone-blk, and to Isangtao – who's been reviewing since the first chapter! Thank you!_

_Okay, enough of my rambling and on with the story…_

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><p><strong>A small community<strong>

The first thing he heard was whispering. It sounded as though he was crammed into a room full of people who didn't want to be overheard. He also discovered that he wasn't lying on the grass like he had been not five minutes prior. Sirius felt a serious case of déjà vu; hadn't these circumstances occurred before? Although this time, rather than finding himself in a strange forest clearing, Sirius opened his eyes to discover that he was on a fairly comfortable bed – the starch white sheets tucked in tightly around his frame, as if to pin him there. He also found, unlike before, there really _were_ people whispering around him. A group of four surrounded one corner of his bed, backs facing him, deep in discussion. Sirius figured they were most likely gossiping. What confused him was the language that they were speaking so softly; it was one that he had never heard of before. Their voices were strange as well – quiet, yet melodious – and just within hearing range. It all stopped when they took notice of him, however.

Silence filled the small, yet spacious room faster than he could cast a spell. The room's occupants stared at Sirius intently, as if he were some kind of inanimate specimen to be studied. Sirius took this opportunity to get a better look at the situation he suddenly found himself in.

Sirius felt that the design of the room was something he would have trouble attempting to explain to anyone he knew back home. It was difficult to figure out how the building had been constructed, since the typical beams and visible supports in homes he had seen were noticeably absent. Two rows of beds were at either end of a wide staircase. The walls, he noted, had gaps in certain places; a breeze wafted into the room from behind him, and as he sat up to look around, he found that the level below him was in view. A large desk dominated one wall below, reminding him of a muggle information kiosk that he'd been dragged to once by an overexcited James. The dim lighting in his room afforded him enough to see by, and not blind him. The illumination came from strange blue lights on weird branches; Sirius could spot more of them outside.

As his gaze drifted around the room, Sirius was distracted by his fellow occupants' almost indiscrete shuffling – bringing them closer to him. They were tall and graceful, with long, dark hair and pale faces. One of the group, although white haired, seemed to be his age or younger, which surprised him slightly. What intrigued him the most were the eyes; there was no color in the iris, and yet they also seemed to glow with an eerie light. For all of his staring, Sirius was rewarded with the puzzled looks of his audience. One of the group quirked an eyebrow, as if amused by his interest. Not deterred from this, Sirius found himself doing a double take; the ears of these people tapered to points, similar to house elves. This appeared to be the only similarity he could find to compare them to. Sirius found himself at a loss of how to react, they were decidedly not human. He was unsure of their language and customs, and knew this put him at a distinct disadvantage. They may be inadvertently offended by Sirius at any given point.

"A sei hakka onna aya?" A soft voice interrupted Sirius' musings, causing him to turn his head toward the sound.

The young, white haired woman, or so he supposed, reached a hand out to place upon his forehead, a frown marring her slanted features. Sirius guessed that she was most likely concerned for his welfare.

"I'm fine, thank you," he replied calmly, putting on a small smile to reassure her. "What happened? How did I get here?"

The woman shrugged, shaking her head in confusion. After another query in her language, she waved her hands slightly to indicate that she couldn't understand him.

"Does anyone here speak English?" Sirius wondered aloud, glancing around the room.

The three others there with him had retreated to a corner on the far side of the room. They huddled in a tight circle, already in another conversation. Sirius was certain they had forgotten that he was there. He was desperate to find someone who could translate for him, so that he could thank these people for their generosity. Who knows what could have happened otherwise?

Footsteps echoed along the wooden floor, growing louder with each moment. Sirius peered over at the staircase in the middle of the room, where another dark haired woman made her entrance. She looked flushed, and out of breath, as if she had run all the way over for some urgent reason. Without the aid of a common language to assist him, Sirius had to assume that this was true.

"E ma han o hakka sei? Ta me ha?" She breathed, frowning.

Her eyes darted around the room, as if she were searching for something. Sirius was curious when her gaze landed on him.

"A sei hakka onna aya?" She asked, repeating the other woman's gesture. Then, after a moment, she seemed to remember herself. She cleared her throat and started over.

"How are you feeling?" Her voice was gentle, with a slight touch of concern.

Sirius sighed in relief.

"I'm fine, thank you," he repeated. "I'm glad that I can understand someone around here; it was fairly awkward a few moments ago." He motioned towards the group of people gathered at one end of the room.

"Oh, I understand," she replied. "This is a small community here in this area of the forest. Most elves don't speak Common; that's usually for those who decide to venture outside of Teldrassil."

"Pardon?" Sirius was confused. "Teldrassil?"

"You don't know?" The elf was incredulous. "This is where you are, in Teldrassil forest. You must have hit your head pretty hard to forget something like that… "She stared at him intently as he shook his head. "Do you want to see a map?"

Sirius brightened at this.

"I'll take that as a yes," she finished drily, leaving the room. A few minutes later, she returned with a rolled up piece of parchment.

Sirius watched her enter the room.

"Where are you from?" The elf asked him as she flattened the map out on a spare bed. "Most humans in Stormwind have heard of our forest."

"London," Sirius answered without thinking.

"Where is that? I've never heard of it…"

"In England," Sirius responded, frowning at the reaction she'd given.

It occurred to him that maybe talking about his home wouldn't be a good idea. The winged woman had explained that this wasn't his world, so it made sense that the elf wasn't aware of London, or any other place he knew.

"It's a small community" he continued, covering his error and thinking fast. "Very small. We don't usually travel often."

"I see." The elf's face was unreadable, and her tone indicated that she didn't believe his story for a second. She appeared to let the matter drop, however. "This is Teldrassil," she began, pointing down at the map.

Sirius slid out of the bed he was resting in and made his way over to her, peering down at the parchment.

"It's quite a large forest," Sirius muttered, his eyes widening in surprise. "And it's an island?"

"Yes," she replied. "Is this your first time outside of – London, was it?" She kept her expression neutral as she waited for his answer.

Sirius nodded. The elf sighed, exasperated.

"I guess I should show you some more places while I'm at it," she muttered.

Sirius watched in awe as the elven woman waved a hand over the parchment, eyes never leaving the page. What amazed him was the fact that the image on it changed. A stray thought crept into his mind: _Wandless magic. _Instead of a massive island covered in trees and rivers, three large land masses now dominated the map. A large vortex-like image took up a reasonable amount of space in the center. Sirius placed a finger on it, frowning.

"What is this meant to represent?" He asked her, eyes glued to the page.

"That's the maelstrom," she replied, eyeing the spot. "It's an incredibly powerful storm that's been brewing for years, and most people wisely avoid it."

"Why?" Sirius wrenched his gaze away from the mapped storm to look at the elf.

She sighed, turning to face him. "It's been known to drag people into the elemental plane," she said, a cautionary tone entering her voice. "We currently have a powerful shaman there attempting to fix the rift between worlds." She glanced back down at the parchment. "It's strange that you are unaware of these things, especially seeing as you're so far away from home."

Sirius shrugged apologetically, worried about how she would react if she knew what had happened. But, he was certain that there would be very few people who would actually believe his story, none of them have heard of England – which he found hard to believe, since it was world famous back home.

"If you really did travel all this way," the elf continued, her gaze flicking back up to him. "How is it that you've never seen a map; not only that, but how did you get here without going through Darnassus? It's the only way to access this part of the forest!"

"I'm sorry," Sirius stammered, shocked. "I have no idea how I got here. One minute I was at home and the next, I woke up in some clearing of a forest I've never seen before."

The elf stared at him, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"You expect me to believe that?" She cried. "What if you're a Horde spy, disguised as a human to fool me?" Her voice had increased in volume until she was practically yelling at him.

It took much of Sirius' willpower not to cover his ears. He shook his head frantically at her question.

"I wouldn't put it past them," the elf muttered, scowling. "They've done similar things before."

"I'm not a spy," Sirius growled, glaring back at her. "I just escaped from a war myself, and I understand how you feel about infiltrators," his gaze softened. "– but I'm not here to do anything like that."

He glanced down at the map and lowered his voice.

"I just want to go home," he continued, frowning. "My friends are in trouble, but I don't know how to get there. Surely you've been in a similar situation – kind of…" Sirius trailed off uncertainly.

The elf sighed, sweeping a stray strand of hair out of her face.

"I've spent far too much time around humans," she murmured. "I didn't yell or get so suspicious like this in the past."

Sirius raised an eyebrow at her, "What do you mean?"

"Well, humans are expressive creatures; elves, however, very rarely display their emotions." She met his gaze. "You'd do well to remember that, as it's much harder for you to predict what we'll do next."

"Why are you telling me this?"

She rolled the map up and placed it back on the bed.

"If you're truly as ignorant as you claim to be, then I can't let you wander off into the rest of the world without knowing this: Humans aren't the only race in Azeroth."

Sirius nodded solemnly. "I'll try to remember that."

The elf smiled grimly, "Good."

* * *

><p>"So, I'm supposed to follow this path all the way to the city gates?"<p>

Sirius was standing in the middle of a small town – or village – staring off at a winding road that meandered past hills and cliff-faces, trees and bushes. There were only a handful of buildings, clustered together against one hillside overlooking the lake he'd been at previously. He had been told that the little town was called Dolanaar, a rest stop for elves undergoing their training in various fields.

The young elf woman, who had referred to herself as Astara, nodded. She had changed into her leather-hide hunting gear, complete with a bow and quiver slung over her shoulder.

"It will be hard to miss it," she replied, smiling. "Once you get there, look for a sentinel; they'll show you how to get to the dock at Rut'theran."

Sirius nodded, grinning. After several days' worth of talking – more like arguing, really – it seemed as though he and Astara had somehow come out as friends. She was certainly helpful with all of the information she'd given him about the state of the world he was currently in.

A piece of parchment obscured Sirius' view for a moment. Reaching up, he pulled the offending object down and out of his face to get a better look at it. The map Astara had used to show him Azeroth was now resting in his hands. He glanced over at her, confused.

"Take it," she told him.

Sirius attempted to hand the map back to her, but Astara wouldn't permit it. She smiled at him, pressing the page back toward him.

"It's yours, now," she said. "I already have one, and the innkeeper had a couple to spare."

"Thank you," Sirius breathed, surprised at the gesture. He was already thankful for all of her help so far.

Sirius had spent an extra few days here in Dolanaar, at Astara's urging, to better acquaint himself with things. In the two weeks that he had spent in the small community, Sirius found himself slowly becoming accustomed to the strange new world and the people in it – although, according to Astara, just being in Teldrassil wasn't enough to think that way.

Astara's eyes widened and she reached into one of her many pockets. Sirius was intrigued when she pulled out a small, white stone, engraved with pale blue markings in swirling patterns.

"What is that?" Sirius asked her, staring at the rock.

Astara smiled at his puzzled expression, reminding herself that her companion wasn't as aware of this world as most humans were. His naivety was quite amusing to her, and she tried not to laugh.

"This," she said, holding up the object in question, "is a hearthstone."

Astara placed it on one of Sirius' upturned palms. It balanced there for a moment before Sirius' curiosity got the better of him, and he found himself turning it over in wonder.

"It takes you home," her voice broke through his trance, and he snapped his head up to look at her. "If you're in trouble, and need to get out of there fast, this will bring you back."

Sirius nodded. "How does it work?"

"Hold the stone in your hand, and think of the last inn you labeled as home. You can do that in any town by talking to the innkeeper." Astara pulled her own one out. "They reset it for you."

"So, I could do that here, too?"

Astara nodded, her gaze fixed on the hearthstone in her hands. "Yours has already been synced with Dolanaar, but you can easily change it later."

"Thanks again," Sirius said, smiling. "I seem to be saying that a lot recently."

She laughed. "You should probably get going, now, if you want to make it there by sundown."

Sirius frowned. "I guess so."

Astara raised a fist up to chest height in a fluid movement, saluting him.

"Good luck on your journey, Sirius," she called.

He attempted to mirror her gesture, making her smile.

"You almost had it there, but it was slightly off," she told him, correcting the greeting. She showed him again, this time much slower. "See," she said, raising a hand. "You put your fist here, and stand straight," She watched him copy it again. "Yes, that's it!" Astara applauded his effort, smiling as he grinned at her.

"Good luck to you as well, Astara," Sirius replied, sobering. "Are you sure we can't go to the city together? It wouldn't be as boring…" he trailed off hopefully.

Astara shook her head. "Sorry," she murmured. "I have tasks here that I must complete, but I can assure you that we will probably cross paths again someday."

"Here's to hoping, then," Sirius muttered, causing her to grin. "We'll stay in touch though, right?"

Astara nodded. "Of course," she replied. "I'll want to hear about your adventures on the mainland," her eyes narrowed. "And don't think of leaving anything out, because I'll know!"

Sirius laughed. He held his hands out in front of him in surrender.

"I wouldn't dream of it," he chuckled. "I don't think I want to see you angry again, that was terrifying!"

"Good," she said. "It'll be great to catch up later on, and I'm sure you'll have many stories to tell." Astara nodded over to the path leading out of town. "Shouldn't you be leaving, now? It's much better to wander this forest during daylight."

Sirius nodded, sighing in resignation. He regretted having to leave, but there was nothing he could do to prevent it. Delaying his departure would mean that his friends back home in England could be in even more trouble, and he wanted to return to them and end that stupid war. He knew Astara couldn't help him with this problem, although she had told him about several of the political leaders. Apparently a number of them had access to powers that could aid him in his plight.

"Are you alright, Sirius?"

Sirius glanced up at Astara, who was staring at him in concern. He smiled sheepishly, shrugging.

"Yeah," he muttered. "Just thinking."

"Copper for your thoughts," she said, placing a hand on Sirius' shoulder. "Don't worry, everything will be fine. There are many people out there who will help you out."

"I'm not worried about that," he replied, looking down at the ground. "It's just," he sighed, turning to face Astara again. "I'm not sure if this will work; what if I can't go back?"

She nodded sympathetically. "If that's the case, then you can find a way to contact your friends instead."

"I can do that?" He murmured, eyes widening in surprise.

"We have many who are skilled in communicating with the spirit world," she said. "I'm sure that there's a loophole somewhere that will allow it."

He nodded, frowning. "And if there isn't?"

"Then you'll just have to live your life to the fullest, here in Azeroth. I'm sure that your friends are doing well on the other side."

"If you're sure…" he trailed off.

"Of course I am!" Astara cried. "Don't lose faith though; I know you'll get there, although I'll miss you here..."

Sirius smiled gratefully. "Thanks for that."

"No problem," she replied. "That's what friends are for." She grabbed Sirius' arm and dragged him over to the path leading out of town. "And you need to get going; I've already told you this, what, three times already?"

Sirius laughed. "Alright, I'll leave."

Turning back to face the path, Sirius waved over his shoulder and set off for the elf capital.

"Send a letter when you get to Stormwind!" Astara called.

"Will do!" He called back.

* * *

><p><strong>AN**_ Alright, now that that's done, I can finally focus some more attention on part 7. I hope you all don't mind the time jump there; it didn't seem to make sense for a sudden friendship to form between Astara and Sirius if she was originally hostile towards him. _

_And the explanations about the spirit world last chapter – I used a little bit of poetic license with that one, the game doesn't mention much about it, so I figured that it would flow better and feel more real, that way. _

_I'm thinking of putting up a short companion story to this about Sirius' time in Dolanaar, called A Leafy Interlude. It will go over how their friendship formed, and what he learned while he was there. I'm not sure when I'll be posting the first part, but keep your eyes peeled for it – I just need a bit of inspiration to start it up. Happy reading, and until next time:_

_Peace out,_

_Shadowcaster01_


	7. Saelienne

_Hey everyone!_

_I didn't realize just how much time had passed since my last chapter update… I appreciate everyone's support, and a big thank you to Sharnorasian Empire, Isangtao, mrKillJoy247, and Azalie-Kauriu for their reviews. _

_The following extract is from Order of the Phoenix, chapter 38, on page 745 if you want to look on. I guess I'm about ready to start now…_

* * *

><p>Saelienne<p>

_**HE WHO MUST NOT BE NAMED RETURNS**_

_**In a brief statement on Friday night, Minister for Magic Cornelius Fudge confirmed that He Who Must Not Be Named has returned to this country and is once more active.**_

"_**It is with great regret that I must confirm that the wizard styling himself Lord – well, you know who I mean – is alive and among us again," said Fudge, looking tired and flustered as he addressed reporters. "It is with almost equal regret that we report the mass revolt of the Dementors of Azkaban, who have shown themselves averse to continuing in the Ministry's employ. We believe the Dementors are currently taking direction from Lord – Thingy.**_

"_**We urge the magical population to remain vigilant. The Ministry is currently publishing guides to elementary home and personal defense which will be delivered free to all wizarding homes within the coming month."**_

_**The Minister's statement was met with dismay and alarm from the wizarding community, which as recently as last Wednesday was receiving Ministry assurances that there was "no truth whatsoever in these persistent rumors that You-Know-Who is operating amongst us once more".**_

_**Details of the events that led to the Ministry turnaround are still hazy, though it is believed that He Who Must Not Be Named and a select band of followers (known as Death Eaters) gained entry into the Ministry of Magic itself on Thursday evening.**_

_**Albus Dumbledore, newly reinstated Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, reinstated member of the International Confederation of Wizards and reinstated Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, has so far been unavailable for comment. He has insisted over the past year that You-Know-Who is not dead, as was highly hoped and believed, but is recruiting followers once more for a fresh attempt to seize power. Meanwhile, the "Boy-Who-Lived" – **_

"**There you are, Harry, I knew they'd drag you into it somehow," said Hermione, looking over the top of the paper at him.**

* * *

><p>It had been several hours since Astara had waved him off, and Sirius was left to wander this forest alone again. The peacefulness was both relaxing and frustrating; Sirius had just gotten used to conversing freely with a large group of people – without fear of arrest – and now he was on his own in the wilderness.<p>

_The story of my life,_ he thought to himself darkly. _Always running from officials, constantly in hiding… it's no wonder I'm so messed up!_ Sirius kicked at a pebble resting by his shoe, sending it flying over a small upraised root and into a patch of dirt.

_She said I'd make it there by dark, so where is it?_ Sirius glanced skyward, frowning. The little light that streamed down on him was getting fainter; he knew that sunset should be starting soon. Peering out ahead of him, he could make out a bend in the path a slight distance away. The trees and brush obscured his view, which proved difficult for Sirius to judge how far he had left.

Sirius was sure that he was at least close, since he had passed a tanning house decorated with various animal skins a little while beforehand. He'd been reassured that this particular building was not too far away from the entrance gates into the city. Even though he was used to visiting Hagrid's hut during his school years, it came across as strange to see a tanning house in the middle of the wilderness – rather than the familiar hut at the edge of the Forbidden forest at Hogwarts.

The wizard frowned, pushing aside various memories before they could resurface. There were some great adventures they'd had in that forest, all four of them, but now was not the time to dwell on such things: Sirius had a mission to complete, with no real notion of how long it would take to finish.

Following the narrow road around the bend, Sirius was surprised to find a rather tall stone wall in his path. The road continued along, unbroken, through a large gap flanked by several armored elves – strangely all female – that stood silent, still and watchful for any threat that made itself known. Upon reaching them, Sirius guessed that they were the sentinels he had been told about. It vaguely reminded him of a picture of those muggle castle guards Lily showed him once, the ones with the strange fluffy hats – that stood still, no matter what happened near them.

The sentinel women wore silver- purple armor, seeming to prefer to leave their arms bare. Their hair was an odd color – pale blue – which was pulled back into a ponytail. Even as he stood there, their stern expressions remained fixed on the trees of the forest ahead of them, barely blinking or registering his presence. Sirius idly wondered if he should try to gain their attention, as he would be hopelessly lost once he entered the city gates. Before he could try anything, the sentinel to his right turned to look at him. A hand landed on his shoulder, making Sirius jump.

"Are you in need of assistance, sir?" The voice was low and soft, with a reassuring tone of concern.

Sirius glanced over to the speaker, momentarily at a loss for words. What should he ask, and how? He couldn't risk saying the wrong thing or they'd become suspicious of him! Sirius' mouth opened and closed a few times, making a considerably good impression of a fish.

"Sir?" The sentinel frowned. She caught her partner's eye and shared a look; the human was acting a bit strange.

Sirius blinked. "Sorry, a little disoriented for a moment there," he murmured. "I was wondering where I would go to find the docks?"

"Were you teleported here?" The second sentinel asked him, raising an eyebrow.

"I guess you could say that," Sirius replied sheepishly, not wanting to even attempt to explain his real situation.

They appeared mollified by his answer, and allowed him entry into the city. The directions he was given were a little confusing, and in response to him mentioning this, they asked for his map.

"This is strange," the first elf muttered. "It's as if you've never set foot anywhere in Azeroth…"

"Let me see that, Maya." The second elf reached for it, anxious to see what had her associate so puzzled. She frowned. "This appears to be incomplete," she said, handing the map back to Sirius. "There's an enchantment missing, but the innkeeper here in Darnassus should be able to fix it for you."

Sirius stared, confused. "What's missing?"

The first elf, Maya, decided to answer his question. "There's a spell placed on a personal map that allows them to see all the places they've been to. It keeps track of the places you've explored for future reference."

"Oh," Sirius frowned. "And there are other maps for general reference, right?"

"Certainly," the second elf replied. "Although they aren't allowed to leave the map room, they're more like the city libraries in that regard."

"It's odd to see one unfinished like this, though," Maya said thoughtfully, frowning at the parchment resting in Sirius' hands. "Where did you get this from?"

"A friend of mine gave it to me," Sirius began. "It was after I lost mine on the road. I don't think she was aware of this issue when she got it…" he trailed off, hopeful that they'd buy his half fibbed story.

"I guess there's no helping it, then." The second elf sighed, pulling out a quill. "I have some parchment on me; I'll write down the directions for you, along with some landmarks to help guide you."

As she began to scribble the information down, using the entrance wall to lean it on, Sirius sighed in relief.

"Thank you for this," he began. "It's the first time I've been to Teldrassil and it was all so confusing."

The sentinel handed him the parchment, smiling. "It's no problem at all," she replied. "We have many first time visitors here in the city, so you won't be the only one."

Sirius nodded. "One question, though. What were you going to do with my map in the first place?"

The sentinels blinked.

"That?" Maya murmured, recovering from her surprise at the question. "We were going to mark the location of the dock master on your map-"

"And the portal you use to get there," her companion cut in. "You can't get to the docks unless you either use the exit portal, or speak with the flight master." She nodded to him, "at least those two are right next to each other, so it'll be your pick."

"When is the next boat due to leave?" Sirius wanted to be sure before he walked away.

"It pulls out early tomorrow morning, around dawn," Maya replied, looking stern. "You'll want to be there before then, though; they keep a tight schedule, and hate to fall behind."

"I'll remember that," Sirius told them, smiling faintly.

"We can direct you to the inn over in Craftsman's Terrace," Maya's companion offered.

"That would be great, thanks."

"It's easy," Maya began, pointing back behind her. "Just follow this path up until you reach the first walkway. Then turn right and follow the path down there a little ways. The innkeeper usually stands just outside of her building, so you'll need to keep an eye out for her."

"Think you can remember all of that?" The second sentinel asked slyly.

"Got it."

The sentinels nodded at him, the usual stern looks missing from their expression.

"Good luck on your journey!" They called out to Sirius, as he made his way along the path and into the city.

* * *

><p>Sirius placed his pack down on the bed he was using for the night. It had taken him a considerable amount of time before he reached the inn that those sentinels were talking about. The walkway was impressive, and Sirius had stood there for several moments gazing at the near bird's eye view of the city in awe. The buildings appeared to be made out of the trees themselves, as if the rooms had been shaped into the living trunks and boughs. On his way along the path he had run into an enormous tree like creature. It startled him, almost drawing his wand, before he noticed that everyone else around him didn't react to it at all. The tradesmen that were there certainly had a good laugh at his expense, though.<p>

The walk through Darnassus, although it was a city, still felt like he had never left the forest. It was an odd feeling, but relatively peaceful. Everything was open to the sky, and the fresh air was much cleaner than he was used to back in England, or even at Hogwarts. So far, the elves he had approached along the way had been extraordinarily helpful and friendly. It was a wonderful contrast to the open hate and distrust he'd been exposed to while growing up in wizarding Britain.

The inn was a simple building. For all appearances it looked similar in shape to a log cabin, although with better taste in architecture. The innkeeper, Saelienne, warmly welcomed him and ushered him inside. She seemed determined to ensure that all his needs were met. He was reminded of a mellower version of Molly Weasley – she was always trying to make sure he was comfortable in his own home each time she visited.

After explaining that he was unable to pay for the fare, Saelienne nodded thoughtfully and offered to let him stay if he helped with a few chores around the inn. Seeing no other option, Sirius wholeheartedly agreed. She wouldn't permit him to assist her until after he had gotten himself settled in, however.

The room he stayed in had a number of beds lining the wall. It looked as though he might be sharing again, just like he had back in Dolanaar. From what he had seen so far, Sirius guessed that the elves preferred a more simplistic approach when it came to sleeping quarters. There were a few lights that graced the room with a soft glow, much like the ones outside that lit up the city. The lamps matched the ones he'd seen when he woke up that one afternoon; the eerie blue glow still fascinated him.

Satisfied with the spot he had chosen, Sirius headed back over to Saelienne, who was standing outside again, possibly searching for more travellers. Although he was sure he barely made a sound, she turned at his approach and smiled at him in greeting. It was so infectious that he returned it with a grin of his own.

"So, you're all settled in?" She asked him, leaning on a small, intricately designed mailbox that Sirius had failed to notice earlier. He nodded.

"Good," she said, straightening. "Is there anything else you need before we start? It'll be a while before I can help you out again."

Sirius nodded again, feeling slightly concerned that he had been doing the action far too many times that day. It was as if someone had transfigured him into a living version of one of those muggle souvenirs with bobbing heads. He still felt a little sympathy for them, even if they were inanimate; _the strange things muggles come up with…_

"Okay," Saelienne began hesitantly, noting the faraway look on Sirius' face. "What was it you needed help with?"

Sirius' gaze snapped back to the innkeeper; his face colored slightly, embarrassed that he had been caught while lost in memories.

"The sentinels told me that you'd be able to repair my map," he recovered, pulling the piece of parchment out of his coat pocket and handing it to her. "They said that it was incomplete, for some reason…"

"I see…" her eyes focused on the page before she looked back over to him. "Yes, it's missing a couple of enchantments. Looks like the person who produced these had forgotten to add to the ones already there." She nodded, "should be a relatively simple thing to fix. Just give me a few moments."

Sirius watched as Saelienne gazed at the parchment, her eyes seeming to focus on something that wasn't there. He heard her muttering something in a strange, garbled language that he had no hope of understanding. An amethyst ring on one of her fingers flared with power. The innkeeper waved a slender hand over the map and, with a final sentence, completed the incantation.

Sirius was surprised when the page was thrust back into his hands. He peered down at the page curiously, hopeful that it worked. He frowned. The map told him that his three day trek through Teldrassil forest had taken him in an odd circle around the south east edge of the map before he had decided to head west, in a vaguely northerly direction. Some place called Starbreeze was marked, with a message telling him to be alert for the creatures there – although he'd never seen any. More than likely he'd just passed by the edge of that region, and continued onwards.

Dolanaar was the next place marked, as well as the lake he'd seen, which he now knew the name for – Al'Ameth. The little dock was drawn in there as well, to his relief, so he knew where exactly he had been and how close he was to the small town before that strange creature had attacked him. Astara solved that mystery for him, revealing that it was referred to as a Timberling here in the forest. She explained that there were cousins of this creature on the mainland, but they were named differently by the people who lived there.

Then, the last notable spot on the page was Darnassus itself. The sprawling city was drawn with remarkable detail, showing the paths and even some of the trees that bordered the outskirts. He was surprised to find a small dot labeled "Sirius" over a building in Craftsman's Terrace – it almost felt like he was looking at the Marauder's map again. _Well, at least I won't have to puzzle over where I am on my map…_

Glancing up at his host for the night, Sirius smiled gratefully. "Thank you," he murmured sincerely.

"That's alright," she said, smiling back. "It was no trouble. Was there anything else?"

"Is there anywhere I can go to find some new travel clothes?" He asked her. "Mine are getting rather worn, and I think it won't be long before they lose their usefulness."

She nodded, taking in the state of his attire. He was completely unkempt, hair lank and dirty, and then there was his dusty coat: there were a couple of small holes in the sleeves, and the soles of his shoes were so worn down, he wasn't sure he could walk in them anymore. Sirius knew that he could repair it with his wand, but that wasn't the main issue. The outfit was out of place in Azeroth, and he'd be a sitting duck for any suspicion if he continued his journey while wearing it. Sirius knew the necessity of blending in, he had been in hiding for the last few years; so when this opportunity had presented itself, Sirius knew he had to take it, or he might not find another chance for a while yet.

"There are a few tradesmen around here at the Terrace who can help you out. What class of training are you under? That usually helps to find which vendor will suit you best."

Sirius blinked, startled at the question. He had no real way of answering, since the auror training he'd had back in Britain was most likely nowhere near similar to the regimens offered here. He vaguely remembered Astara mentioning something like this several days ago, but he couldn't put a finger on exactly what she'd said to him about it. _What do I say?_

"I think I understand," Saelienne began, noting the expression on his face. "You're not sure which one to undertake yet, are you?"

Sirius sighed in relief, relaxing a bit. "Yes," he replied. "You guessed it."

She smiled. "In that case, I suggest you go for the civilian cloth wear for now. Most of the other items are spelled with special enchantments to assist with a person's training."

He nodded gratefully. "Where will I be able to find this vendor?"

"There's a tailor a few buildings away. Just keep an eye out for the signs; there are several multilevel ones in this area, same with the Tradesman's Terrace on the other side of the city. Each one has a different merchant in it, so you need to be aware."

"Okay," Sirius said, frowning. "I'll just have to hope I don't wander around so much that I wind up lost; that would be disastrous."

Saelienne laughed. "That's not much of a problem, though." She swept a hand out towards the middle of the city. "There are sentinels posted all over Darnassus," she said. "They are always willing to help a traveller out. You can ask them for directions if you get lost."

Sirius smiled. "That's a relief."

"Don't worry about it too much," the innkeeper continued. "You'll have time to search for the vendor later." She placed her hand on his shoulder. "For now, you're going to run some errands for me…"

* * *

><p>Sirius returned to the inn, exhausted, confused and a little more aware of how the Terraces worked. Both sides had merchants that had a sort of codependence on each other; they provided the materials and the services needed by the opposite side. Sirius wasn't entirely sure yet about who needed whom, but he knew that there was some sort of complex system that worked out in there somewhere. Currently he was too tired to really try to sort out all the new information he had gathered. <em>Maybe I'll think it over in the morning,<em> he thought wearily.

Most of the chores she put him through were simple, menial tasks that kept him occupied for short amounts of time. There was the general tidying up of the place, along with cleaning off the small mailbox; there was also the very boring task of scrubbing the floors, by hand, on his knees. Not an entirely pleasant task, but it was definitely something to do. He'd barely thought about home during the entire time he'd been at the inn, which was fairly surprising to him – he really dwelled too much, although he could very easily place the blame for that habit on his wrongful incarceration in prison, with nothing else to do but think.

The errands were also fairly simple. He had to fetch some ingredients for a stew that Saelienne planned to make the next morning; collect a lamp that was being repaired; check on the new order of bed linen she had to replace for one old set; and finally, speak to the baker about getting fresh bread in the morning. He was practically running around in circles all day. Sirius had decided to remain in the city for an extra two days, firstly to help out Saelienne with her inn, and secondly for a better understanding of how life was in Azeroth.

City life was different to how he had imagined it so far, although it could be because there were many things he had taken for granted which were useless here. There were also some things that surprised him. He could have sworn he saw a motorcycle racing by yesterday, which didn't quite fit in with the middle ages context of wizarding Britain. Such devices were often associated with muggles, and it fascinated him that the magic users here had both forms of power coexisting without any real problems – that he could see, anyway.

He finally found a chance to purchase some new clothes from the vendor that afternoon. It wasn't much, but at least he looked like he belonged now. There was a linen shirt, plain cloth pants, a wide leather belt, and some knee high boots that he thought looked pretty cool. Sirius felt strange without his coat or wizard robes, but he knew that it was a change that he needed to get used to if he were to survive here in this world – at least until he could return to Britain.

Crossing over the threshold of the building, Sirius was met with a heavy aroma of stew. Just the mention of food at the moment would have made him drool, he was so hungry. _I guess all those chores have given me quite the appetite,_ he thought, amused with himself. Sirius slumped down on one of the beds, resting his overstuffed pack by the pillow. He then headed over to a small table with a couple of chairs that were set up outside by the front of the inn. Saelienne didn't have much room in her inn for a permanent dining table, so she seemed to like the idea of eating meals outside. Gazing at the rest of the city, Sirius found that he had to agree with the sentiment; Darnassus was certainly a beautiful sight.

Saelienne greeted him with a warm smile and waved him over to sit with her at the table. He nodded and took a seat next to her, relieved that his long day was finally over. Each morning, the innkeeper gave him a short list of tasks to do for her so she could finish the rest of her host duties in good time. It usually wasn't much, but Sirius could tell that she appreciated the help.

"So, everything's in order?" She asked him, ladling some stew into a bowl and handing it to him.

"Yup," he replied, smiling back at her. "I've got all of those things you asked for in my pack; I'll hand them to you a bit later."

"That's fine." She smiled again, "Thank you, Sirius, for all your help the past couple of days. I know you didn't have to do it, but I'm really grateful for what you've done for me so far."

"Don't mention it," Sirius said, waving her off. "It was a really good experience for me. I was able to see what it was like to live here, and I have some new clothes." He turned to her, "you didn't have to pay for them, you know."

"I figured it was only fair," she replied, frowning. "I've felt like I've been taking advantage of your helpfulness, it was my way of paying you back."

"But I've been earning some money with all those fish I've caught; surely I could pay you back for the expense of the clothes…" Sirius trailed off at Saelienne's expression.

She sighed. "You don't need to worry about it," she told him. "We're both even as far as I'm concerned; and I have one more thing for you to do…"

Sirius raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"

"I noticed that you didn't have a mail gem in your pack…"

His eyes widened. "So _that's_ what that stone was for!"

"Yes. It will tie your personal signature to any mail you send or receive." She glanced over at the mailbox. "The system won't allow you to access it until you are synced with the magic of the stone and the mailbox."

Sirius stared at the small box that he had mostly overlooked. "Why is that?"

Saelienne sighed, glancing in his direction. "No matter where you are, if there's a mailbox, you'll be able to get your mail. The stone acts as a catalyst that sends it over to you."

"How does that work?" He frowned, returning her gaze.

"From what the warlocks tell me, the mail is actually stored in the stone. It's only when you activate the magic in the mailbox that you're able to retrieve it." She waved her hand dismissively. "It's much more complicated than that, with all the runes and incantations, but that's the general gist of it."

Sirius nodded as understanding dawned on him. _Almost like our owl post, _he thought, amazed at the coincidence.

"Go over to the mailbox later and activate it. Once the box recognizes your personal signature, you'll be able to tap into it anytime, anywhere."

"I'll do that," He murmured, smiling.

* * *

><p>Sirius sighed regretfully as he stepped through the portal in the center of Darnassus; the pinkish glow flared brightly around him for a moment, before revealing the remains of the old docks of Rut'theran village. The boardwalk was half submerged under the tide, along with several ships that hadn't survived the odd storm that had somehow taken everything out. Sirius was initially surprised that the rest of Teldrassil forest wasn't affected, but when he looked up, he soon figured out why.<p>

_The whole forest is a tree?_ Sirius was incredulous. It was hard to imagine that such a thing was possible, trees, towns – practically a whole island was a tree. He vaguely wondered how far down the roots went. _Probably on the ocean floor._ It certainly was the largest tree he had ever seen in his life; and he thought that the ones in that _forest_ were huge…

There were only a couple of sentinels wandering around. At first, he was confused; where was he supposed to go? The docks weren't there anymore. After asking a sentinel, Sirius found out that he had to go around a corner – mostly a freakishly huge root – and low and behold, there were the docks. Off to the side, Sirius spotted a group of dark coloured birds huddled together. Upon closer inspection, he discovered that these were the birds that were used as public transportation. They reminded him vaguely of Buckbeak, although they weren't identical.

Since he wasn't entirely certain as to where those birds were headed, Sirius opted to make his way over to the docks. Instead of one, Sirius found three boats loading areas that were currently unoccupied. Choosing the nearest one, Sirius sat down by the edge and waited.

It was an hour before the ship made berth, and then more time after that for its passengers and cargo to be unloaded. Finally, the crew member waved him over onto the ship, where he signed the ledger and headed below decks to put his pack down. Apparently the trip would take a day, seeing as they needed to avoid shoals and rock formations that jutted up off the coastline and in the open water. Sirius had expected the journey to take longer than that, but he credited the speed to some form of magic that the crew had in their arsenal.

After a few hours of initial boredom, Sirius gave up trying to occupy himself and settled down for a short rest in the cabin that was assigned to him. As his eyes closed and he drifted off, Sirius hoped that whatever he encountered in Stormwind would help him in his quest to return home.

* * *

><p><em>So, that's it guys. A really long chapter to satisfy you curiosity for what happened to Sirius.<em>

_There were a few things that I used creative license for, simply because the game doesn't really have any explanation for how such things actually work – such as the post. And because the maps in the game only show where you've been, I figured that there had to be some kind of reason for that as well – which led me to the idea of map room viewing areas that worked like library reference areas. How else was a person supposed to navigate their way through a place they've never been to before? Simple, let them look at a map for a while, write directions for themselves, and leave the map where they found it._

_Sirius' stint in Darnassus also helped to bridge the gap between worlds and give him a reality check on how Azeroth is – well, that's _my_ reasoning anyway._

_SE, I haven't seen many continuously updated ones with WC2 or 3. And I hope that this doesn't put you off, but my story is based on the live game. I've never played the original Warcraft, although I've been told that it's really good._

_Isangtao, I have a plan for Sirius later in his journey through Azeroth, so I guess you'll all just have to wait and see… Thank you for the compliment mrKillJoy and Azalie-Kauriu, I hope I'm able to keep you on board._

_I hope you all will enjoy this chapter while I come up with the next. I already have a bunch of scene ideas in my head, it's just that they need to be straightened out and put into a reasonable order before I can actually type and post them for all of you readers._

_That's it for now. I'll try to put up the next one a bit sooner for you._

_Peace out,_

_Shadowcaster01_


	8. Lor'danel

_Hi everyone! _

_Sorry about the long delay, life kind of got in the way. Basically, a whole bunch of things are happening at once, but I digress…_

_Thanks to those who've decided to follow or add this to favorites, I value your support and hope to keep you guys on board to the end. Another round of thanks goes to my recent reviewers: Sharnorasian Empire, Azalie-Kauriu and Isangtao._

_Warcraft's timeframe is based on more recent events – like Deathwing's arrival and destruction of Azeroth. With all of the elemental planes shifting, and characters gaining access to these realms through rifts in space, I figured that it would prove to be the best explanation for Sirius' appearance in this new chaotic world._

_As the Spirit Healer said, there are many trials on the road ahead. Sirius will have to figure out how to defeat them all as they come…_

_I hope you all enjoy part 8!_

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><p><strong>Lor'danel<strong>

Sirius awoke to the sound of creaking floorboards and hurried steps above the ceiling of his room. Blinking tiredly, it took him a few minutes to remember where he was.

_Oh, that's right. _Sirius mused, glancing around the cabin. _I'm on that ship to Stormwind… I wonder how long I've been asleep for. _He sat up slowly, using the heels of his palms to rub the sleep out of his eyes. _There's no clock in here to use for reference. _Sirius frowned. _Now that I think about it… I haven't _seen _any clocks since I came here._

When he initially entered this room, Sirius had only intended to settle down for a quick nap, after which he'd planned on exploring the ship a bit further. It wasn't very large – considering the size of the ship – with a desk that was small enough to fit a notebook on. The room only had one porthole, allowing a fraction of the view overlooking dark waves as they nudged against the hull of the ship. Looking out through it, Sirius noted there was a dim grey sky that tinged the horizon, which shone a pale yellow; dawn was imminent.

An inky black line traced its way along one side of the seascape. Peering at the spot, it was hard to tell if this was the result of a botched cleaning job or if there was land or maybe even obstacles in the way. A few more hurried shuffles raced over Sirius' head, confirming his latter assumption. The noise continued for the next few minutes, accompanied by shouting and then more shuffling. A sharp rap at the door brought his attention back to the present.

"Yes?" Sirius called out to whoever was on the other side without turning around; he was hesitant to open the door just yet.

"I've been sent to inform you that we are nearing port," came a thickly accented reply, slightly muffled by the huge slab of wood separating the two speakers. Sirius found it hard to identify the familiar sound in the accent; there were a few different recognizable nuances that he remembered hearing before, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Sirius faced the door, wondering idly if he was supposed to say anything in response. The crew member beat him to it.

"You need to gather your things and be ready for when we pull up to the dock." The voice paused for a moment before continuing. "Captain's orders."

Sirius still had that nagging thought at the back of his mind. He _almost_ had it, the word for it was at the tip of his tongue; any second he'd instantly recognize that sound, the one _so_ familiar it was beginning to drive him crazy.

"Alright," Sirius called back, brushing his earlier thoughts away. "I'll be up there shortly, then."

The sound of receding footsteps was the only indication that the conversation was now over. _Talk about rude,_ Sirius thought to himself. _He_ _didn't even bother to tell me that his message had been fully delivered._ He rolled his eyes; maybe that was the mode with these seafaring folk, no manners in regards to everyone outside of their close knit group. Sirius wasn't sure how to test the theory, or whether he wanted to for that matter. It was of no relevance anyway, so he shrugged and let it drop.

_Wait,_ Sirius paused. _How long do I have until we land?_ He sighed in exasperation. It was typical that he just thought of the question now, rather than when the crewman had been within earshot. Now he had to gather his stuff and hope that he wasn't detaining everyone else. And if they were still at sea by the time he was finished, he would then have to locate one of the elusive seafarers. _It wouldn't be very helpful if most of them were in their cabin_, he mused quietly. _How will I know the answer then?_

Sirius shook his head, frustrated with himself. There was no time for him to be agonizing over one stupid little question which would be answered shortly, not to mention the fact that he was wasting valuable time left by just standing around idly. He counted himself lucky that he had travelled light; the pack Sirius brought with him contained a small number of possessions, including his old set of clothes and the hearthstone and mail gem gifted to him during his time in Teldrassil.

_Maybe I should find a job at the city, _Sirius mused quietly. _Just for the time I stay in Stormwind. I'll save the money up for further travel in case it's needed…_

He glanced over at his pack, which was currently resting against the foot of the narrow bed he occupied for the duration of this short voyage. _I'll need a spare set of clothes, and perhaps a local weapon too._ He shrugged. _Guess I should compile a list once I get myself settled in over there. Saelienne told me there would be a few inns at the city to choose from; I wonder which one will be better?_

Sirius found his boots lying on the floor next to his bed and, reaching over the side, pulled them over to sit next to his bag. He rifled through his coat, currently beside his pillow, and was relieved to find his wand was still in place. It remained odd to Sirius that most individuals either refused to display, or didn't own, a wand. He felt out of place when roaming the paths in Darnassus. Hopefully he wouldn't stand out too much in the human city. _At least magic exists here, _Sirius reminded himself. _It would be difficult to explain to anyone why I carried a stick around if everyone was a muggle, wouldn't it? Things are better this way, however confusing they are._

Sirius rather appreciated the openness denizens displayed with their magic, compared to back home in Britain, where wizard families had to be cautious of their surroundings before casting a spell. Supposedly, his destination was to be one of the biggest city centers in the Eastern Kingdoms, with a massive reputation for fighting against the dark. _If things are truly as Saelienne and Astara say, maybe the people in Stormwind can help me with some of the problems occurring back home - however indirect they are… _He shook his head. _Maybe I should think about these things later, when the issues actually come up._

His mind made up, Sirius pulled on his boots and swung his pack over his shoulder. Then he draped his old coat over his left arm. After one final check of the room, he concluded that everything was in order and none of his belongings were going to be left behind. Without sparing it a second glance, Sirius turned the small brass handle and pulled the door towards him, leaving the room. He found the staircase off to his right, in the corner of his part of the lower level. He ascended the steps one at a time, careful not to slip, and found himself emerging once more onto the deck of the ship.

"There you are, traveller," a soft voice greeted him. "I was wondering whether you'd come into any trouble in that little room of yours, you were taking so long!"

It was the commanding officer of this vessel, the captain, who chuckled at the incredulous look Sirius was currently giving him. He'd never caught the name of the man, but he had heard that it was fairly hard to pronounce. A soft breeze wafted through the sails, whistling gently in time to the rocking boat.

"You sleep well?" Sirius nodded in response to the question. He gazed out over the railing, towards the line of land just visible in the distance. The sun was beginning to peek out from the horizon, casting a faint glow onto the main deck.

"I thought we were close to port by now," he muttered indignantly, frowning slightly. "At least, that's what that crewman told me earlier…"

The captain smiled faintly. "Yes, we are fairly close," he replied, leaning on the side of the railing. "In about an hour or two, we'll be safe at Lor'danel. After we unload everything and you're dropped off, it's back to Rut'theran with this crew…"

Sirius blinked. "Lor'danel," he parroted, confused. "I was of the impression that we were headed for Stormwind?"

The captain's eyes narrowed and he glanced over at Sirius, who was still staring at the shoreline in a dazed shock. "Who told you that?" The seafarer scratched at the side of his head. "This ship has always had the route between here and Rut'theran, and before Lor'danel the regular trail was to Auberdine."

"The city guards told me to be at the dock before sunrise, and I did as they asked," Sirius wrenched his gaze away from the sea. "Was there some part that I missed somehow?"

"When were you told about this?" The captain's voice was strangely calm.

"When I first entered the city, around three days ago now…" he turned to the captain. "I thought that these ships only travelled that distance in about a day, the docks apparently have a ship there at port every morning…"

"The ship to Stormwind left port two days ago." Sirius' eyes widened again. "They're already on their way toward the Maelstrom by now, and the ship won't be returning to Darnassus for at least another ten days."

"Ten days?" Sirius was incredulous.

"Yes," the captain faced the shore. "The voyage to Stormwind from Rut'theran takes roughly one week before it reaches port. So you won't see the ship in Rut'theran for quite a long while."

Upon hearing this, Sirius began to panic. He rapped a fist on the railing while he swore, not caring about the brief twinge of pain that shot through his knuckles at the sudden contact.

"What am I going to do now?" He asked worriedly. "I was planning on stopping in Stormwind for a while, but if there's no ship, how will I get there now?"

"Don't worry too much," the captain replied, placing a hand on Sirius' shoulder. "There's another one headed for the big city that will arrive here in Lor'danel in a few days." He glanced down at the railing. "Use that time to relax and take in the scenery." The captain glanced back over at Sirius. "I've heard that some parts of Kalimdor are quite the sight to see..."

Sirius' shoulders sagged in relief. Glancing up over to the crewman at his side, Sirius smiled briefly.

"Thanks for that," he told the man, sincere in tone.

"No problem," the captain replied. "I hate to see a fellow traveller in a sorry mood." He pushed away from the railing. "Just keep your chin up, okay?"

Sirius nodded. "Sure."

Sirius directed his attention back to the approaching shoreline while the seafarer walked back over to the helm of the ship. He was dimly aware of the orders being called out amidst all of the shuffling of feet, the crashing of the tide against the ship's hull, and the rustling of the sails in the morning wind.

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><p>...<p>

It had taken the crew more than an hour to pull up at the dock in Lor'danel, and the unpacking of cargo had been even more time consuming. Sirius hadn't been permitted to leave the ship until they had moved all of those things out of the way, reminding him that they were, as always, on a very tight schedule. As they began to say their next line "and we hate to be put behind", Sirius found himself mouthing the words in time with the crewman who spoke them. These men had been parroting the lines to him for the most part of the time he'd been above decks during the voyage. Sirius' actions were to the other man's annoyance, of course - but he had been immensely amused during, and for some time after, the situation. Sirius remembered the scowl he had been given for his efforts, along with some chosen words in the man's native language. He planned to keep those in mind for later, they had sounded rather fancy for swear words…

As Sirius had been sitting near the side of the ship, out of the way of all the action, mulling over his plans for the next few days, one of the crew members came up to him and tapped him on the shoulder. They then indicated to him, in a polite tone, that he was allowed to leave the deck and head to shore. Sirius gave the man his thanks, grabbed his pack that had been sitting beside him, and walked off the gangplank with barely a second thought to the people behind him. There were other more important things that currently occupied Sirius' mind at that moment, with no offense intended towards the crew members he'd been stuck with for the past day, and he gave little attention to anything else.

The end of the dock was a short ways away from the natural shoreline, which seemed to match the descriptive name given to the region he was currently in. The dull grey sand met up with a very dark variety of grass. The land rose slightly for a few meters away from the sea, and the beach was scattered with pale crabs that periodically scuttled in and out of the water. Looking further inland, Sirius spotted a couple of those nightsabers from Teldrassil lurking among the trees of the dense forest which dominated the background of Lor'danel.

There were a few differences Sirius could spot between Darkshore and the island that he'd stayed at for the past two and a half weeks. The foliage was much muter in color, ranging from pale pastels to black – and the trees were not the same variety as the ones in Teldrassil. The bright hues that he'd seen near Dolanaar and Darnassus were nonexistent here. Some of the animals Sirius caught moving along the forest edge were also dissimilar; they consisted of a bird which resembled a cassowary, and two types of bears, which was surprising, since Sirius hadn't expected to see bears anywhere near a Darnassian settlement – but there was always a chance to be wrong, especially since he was new to this world. There was still much for him to learn…

The dockmaster standing nearby had pointed out the inn to him, mentioning that most of the ships would be out for the next two days. She indicated that the tradesmen had located themselves in different parts of the town, and if he needed to find one in particular, the sentinels posted around the area would be happy to help him out.

In another contrast to Darnassus, the innkeeper in Lor'danel didn't speak much, preferring to gesture briefly unless the situation demanded words. She waved him over to where she was seated at the front desk, saluted him politely in the traditional elven greeting, and then pointed over to the room upstairs, the entrance to which was behind him, at the end of the ramp. Passing over a few copper coins as instructed by Saelienne, Sirius nodded his thanks to the innkeeper and made his way up the ramp to get himself settled in.

The layout of the inn was slightly different to the one in Darnassus. There were three levels, with the upper two being rooms for the guests to stay in. At the end of the ramp sat two beds facing each other, with an open view of the sea. There were no walls in this section of the building; columns supported the roof and uppermost level of the inn. To his right was a second ramp, leading to the top floor. After ascending this one, he found three narrow beds facing him, enclosed within the walls of the room. Sirius felt more comfortable with the idea of the amount of privacy given by this room, and so decided to stay up there instead.

Setting his pack on the end of the nearest one, Sirius noted that he was the only person that would be staying here at the inn for the day, unless someone else appeared later, of course. The room was much darker here than in Teldrassil, but he owed that to the conditions of the surrounding environment instead of the lighting quality of the inn.

It was around mid-morning by the time he'd made himself comfortable in the inn. The ship's landing and unloading had taken up most of the early daylight hours, and he'd entered Lor'danel with the sun shining brightly behind him. It would have been a dazzling sight to behold; the usually dark and dismal waters were glittering with the radiance that dawn provided, but Sirius had been intent on reaching the inn – and so ignored the spectacle.

Taking a few silver coins out of his pack, Sirius descended the ramp and left the building, opting to have a quick look around Lor'danel. He concluded that it was the perfect time to stock up on some supplies for his brief stay in the small town, and with that in mind, Sirius headed straight for the first available sentinel for directions. He was lucky enough to find one standing just outside the inn, along with her companion, chatting amicably about the weather. Upon noticing his approach, the pair smiled at him and waved him over.

"Good morning," Sirius greeted the sentinels warmly. They nodded politely before answering in kind.

"What can we do for you, traveller?" The first sentinel asked him kindly. She was slightly taller than her companion, with dark hair tied up in a long braid that swept past her shoulders.

"I was hoping to find out where I could find the vendor for weaponry…" he trailed off, uncertain.

The elf brightened. "Oh," she replied. "Is that all?" Sirius nodded. "Just further down alongside the inn, you'll find several vendors that can help you out."

"Really?"

"Of course," she laughed. "When setting up Lor'danel, our architects figured it'd be easier for our travellers if the most important things were located closer to the inn they were staying at." The sentinel shrugged. "So you'll find the blacksmith, armorers and several others either inside or next to the inn."

Sirius peered around the side of the building. "Just down there, you mean?"

"Yes," she replied. "And you can wander around the town to find the others. Lor'danel isn't as large as Auberdine was, so you'll have a smaller chance of getting lost."

"Alright," he mumbled, beginning to walk away. She held a hand up, halting his escape.

"One word of warning, though," she began. "You see that bridge over there?" The sentinel pointed over to the ash colored structure a few meters away. He nodded. "Don't cross that until you're ready. Our sentinels stay as close to the town as possible," she turned to Sirius. "Once you're far enough away, you'll be on your own; so be careful out there."

"I'll do that," Sirius responded, still staring at the bridge. "Thanks for the advice."

"Don't mention it," she said. "And I hope you enjoy your stay here in Lor'danel!"

He smiled at her. "I'll do my best."

Rounding the corner of the inn, Sirius had no trouble finding the people the sentinel had mentioned to him. The vendor there offered him a training sword he'd just purchased from another adventurer a few days before. Sirius was amazed by his luck, and quite happily accepted the offer. The sword appeared to be in fairly good condition, and after the fee of a few copper coins the armorer had given him a whetstone free of charge. Attaching it to a loop on his belt, Sirius glanced around for the next item on his agenda: new clothes. Instead, he ran into the blacksmith, who'd offered him a look at his wares, which weren't much. As he was about to leave, the blacksmith attracted his attention again, this time with a question.

"You seem to be new to travelling, human," he told him thoughtfully. "Have you ever considered taking on a trade?"

Sirius spun back around to face the elf, surprised. "I had been wondering how to go about it, yes," he responded cautiously. "Why do you ask?"

"From the looks about you, I'd say that you'd be one who's good with your hands," the blacksmith murmured, roving an appraising eye on the wizard. "I'd think that blacksmithing could be good for one such as yourself. What do you say?"

Again, Sirius was surprised by the amount of good fortune he'd found so far that morning. All from one simple mistake of catching the wrong boat. _I guess the saying is true; everything _does_ have a silver lining…. _Sirius shrugged, what did he have to lose? If he botched this one up, there was always the chance of finding some other work to make up the money he was sure he'd need for later.

"Why not?" Sirius said at last. "I'm stuck here for a few days anyway, and I don't have much to do so far." Sirius peered over at the anvil lying near the tradesman. "So I guess I'll give it a shot."

The blacksmith grinned. "That's the spirit!" He practically crowed, giving the now astonished wizard a firm handshake. "You'll need to go equip yourself with a hammer, which you'll find over there." He pointed to the trade goods salesman a few feet away. "He sells them at a relatively good price."

Sirius nodded, glancing over at the dwarf, who was standing near the inn's entrance. The blacksmith continued speaking.

"Make sure you're back at around noon," he said sternly. "I have an order I need to fill by this afternoon, and the supplies for it will arrive at that time. You can help me with that."

After agreeing to the set time, Sirius hastened over to the tradesman by the door. The blacksmith was right; the hammer was a fairly cheap deal. The salesman advised him to consider seeing the mining trainer as well, since Sirius would be hard pressed to find a good supply of metals to work with if he didn't. The miner was another fairly amicable fellow, who chucked at Sirius' expression when he'd explained his current situation. Sirius now had to meet with this second man at mid-morning the next day, so he could learn about the finer points of mining.

Glancing up at the sky, Sirius realized that he still had a bit over two hours before he had to return to the blacksmith for his lessons. So, with that in mind, he set out for that extra set of clothing that he'd been looking out for earlier.

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><p>...<p>

It was early evening when Sirius had finally returned to his room at the inn. He now had a new set of clothes, two possible jobs to keep him occupied, and a sword for protection on the road. Pulling the whetstone out of his pocket, Sirius unsheathed the sword and stared at it for a few moments. The blade appeared to be at least made of iron or steel, but it was hard for him to tell, since he was unfamiliar with the differences associated with the two metals. He tried to remember what the armorer had told him about sword maintenance, but the exact wording escaped him. He didn't want to screw up the only blade he could afford at the moment; most of the other swords available were off in the cities, and were of better quality – but going with that was the issue of expense.

Sirius sheathed the blade and set it to rest against the head of his bed, where it would be within easy reach. He was sure that nothing would happen here to have him needing the blade in his defense; the sentinels that guarded Lor'danel would most certainly handle any threat before it got to him. Besides, they were extremely well trained, whereas, in terms of non-magical combat, Sirius was a mere novice.

_Maybe I should remedy that while I'm here, _Sirius thought to himself. _The wizarding world had no real need to use swords, so of course they wouldn't teach that. _He grinned. _I wonder what's available to learn when you're wielding a sword?_

Sirius lay back onto the pillows at the end of his bed, entertaining the thought. _Sirius, the warrior. _He chuckled quietly to himself. _That would be a lot like Gryffindor himself, except I can't really imagine myself fulfilling such a role. _Sirius shrugged. _I won't know until I find out. Maybe I'll attempt it when I get to Stormwind… _Sirius grinned again. _Wouldn't _that_ shock everyone back home!_ He thought, laughing.

He glanced down at his hands, taking in the small amount of burns that covered the sides of his palms. Blacksmithing seemed to be an interesting subject, with a whole bunch of its own hazards to be wary of. The burns were from the beginning of his lessons that afternoon, when he'd been instructed to take one of the axes they were working on out of the forge. Of course, he didn't know at the time exactly how hot a piece of metal could get after such a short stint in the burner, but he'd found that one out fairly quickly. The blacksmith admonished Sirius for his carelessness, indicating the set of thick gloves that sat near the forge. Although upset with Sirius for pulling the amateur stunt, he'd chuckled at the yelp of pain and surprise Sirius had let out upon discovering that the forge was indeed _very hot!_ Sirius was not amused at the reaction his instructor had given at that point, and briefly sulked about it childishly while he worked at one of the swords.

Sirius was glad for the distraction, though. When he wasn't accidentally burning himself, the trade seemed to be quite enjoyable, and he could now understand the elf's enthusiasm for it. With the lessons he was now being given, Sirius wondered if he should delay his arrival in Stormwind a bit further, just to extend his time to learn more. Though, there might be other trainers available in the city, but he was unsure whether or not their temperament would allow for a beginner like him to be taken under their wing.

On the other hand, there was also the issue of why Sirius was headed for Stormwind in the first place. His situation wasn't the same as everyone else's here in Azeroth, and if he didn't return home soon, the war back in Britain could escalate to the point where his friends and allies might fail. He shuddered at the thought. There was no way that he'd let that dark wizard win; and Harry was suffering from all of the trials he'd already faced. What others could he possibly be put through? Sirius knew that his own desires always would be second to Harry's. He owed that to the son of his best friend – a promise was a promise, and he would keep to it right until the very end. Harry was an important person, not just to him, but the entire wizarding world. If he failed, then everything else would come down with him.

Sirius shook his head. The way to get home was still uncertain, and he wasn't sure if he'd still be able to. But he had to keep his hopes up, for Harry at least. With this time that he'd been afforded away from the war, Sirius figured that he should at least learn as much as he could before he returned to the forefront of the fight. And in this case, anything that he encountered here may prove to be useful in defeating Voldemort somewhere in the long run. _I think I'll just head to Stormwind,_ Sirius concluded eventually. _No offense to the people here, but at least I'll be a step closer to my goal over there…_

Once he had sorted out those thoughts in his mind, Sirius decided to refrain from considering them until sometime later on. For the moment, he was content to settle for dwelling on whether or not his upcoming mining tutorial the next morning would be as informative as the blacksmith's lesson had been. Apart from that, there was also the issue of food. Looking outside, Sirius noted that it was around sunset. The sky was streaked with hues of orange and red near the horizon; a stark contrast to the deep blue black that dominated the rest of the sky above his head, which was just starting to twinkle with stars.

_I think I should go look for something to eat,_ Sirius mused. _I don't want to skip a meal after all that I've been through today._ He shrugged. _Maybe tomorrow will be more interesting… who knows?_

Sirius made his way down the ramp, searching for the food vendor that he was certain he'd passed by at some point earlier that afternoon.

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><p><em>There you have it guys, the long awaited part 8… Part 9 is already in motion, so hopefully I'll put that up sooner this time - if not, maybe I'll have something else up to distract you from it. <em>

_I've posted the prologue chapter of Leafy Interlude if you want to check it out. I'll be updating for that one sporadically, whenever I get some sort of inspiration. Hope you guys will enjoy it!_

_For this chapter, I did change the layout of the ship between Rut'Theran and Lor'Danel a little. And the times of transit between the different destinations also seemed to make sense that way. In the real world, it would certainly take a month to traverse from one continent to another with that distance; however these people have magic at their arsenal, so I figured a week between the continents would be enough… especially since the game shows that map screenshot between the departure port and your destination._

_On another note, I realize that the two vendor characters may have been a little OOC in terms of the usual Night Elf temperament. But, in light of Astara's admission a couple of chapters ago, I decided that the people in charge of Lor'danel would be used to the human mannerisms and maybe picked up on a few of them themselves… The blacksmith was the main one that seemed a bit off, but if you're passionate about your job, I'm sure you'd try to convince others about how great it is too. That's my reasoning._

_I was going to add some other aspects to this chapter, but upon realizing just how long it had become already, I figured that it would have to wait until I began piecing together part 9. _

_If you're confused about why I put in this mix-up, the plot bunny will be explained in due time – in the next few chapters, really. Don't worry, things will begin to get very interesting soon, you'll see…_

_So, enough of my long footnote. I'll leave the anticipation to you guys, and post the next part later._

_Until next time, peace out!_

_Shadowcaster01_


	9. Dark Reflections

_Hey everyone,_

_Sorry about the long delay, there's been a whole lot going on for me lately, and I haven't had the time to put anything new up… _

_The following extract is from the same chapter as my last one, and my longest one yet. After I typed it all up, I forgot what page it was on. Random, I know, but that's how it turned out._

_Thanks to Isangtao for reviewing, and also to those who are following or have added this to their favorites. As always, I value your support and hope that you all read and enjoy this to the very end._

_Oh, a little word of warning: the following chapter is a bit angsty. Just a heads up…_

_Hope you like part 9._

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><p><strong>….<strong>

_Dark Reflections_

**Their last evening at school arrived; most people had finished packing and were already heading down to the end-of-term feast, but Harry had not even started.**

"**Just do it tomorrow!" said Ron, who was waiting by the door of their dormitory. "Come on, I'm starving." **

"**I won't be long… look, you go ahead…"**

**But when the dormitory door closed behind Ron, Harry made no effort to speed up his packing.**

**The very last thing he wanted to do was to attend the Leaving Feast. He was worried that Dumbledore would make some reference to him in his speech. He was sure to mention Voldemort's return; he had talked to them about it last year, after all…**

**Harry pulled some crumpled robes out of the very bottom of his trunk to make way for folded ones and, as he did so, noticed a badly wrapped package lying in a corner of it. He could not think of what it was doing there. He bent down, pulled it out from underneath his trainers and examined it.**

**He realized what it was within seconds. Sirius had given it to him just inside the front door of number twelve Grimmauld Place. 'Use it if you need me, all right?'**

**Harry sank down on to his bed and unwrapped the package. Out fell a small, square mirror. ** **It looked old; it was certainly dirty. Harry held it up to his face and saw his own reflection looking back at him.** **He turned the mirror over. There on the reverse side was a scribbled note from Sirius.**

_**This is a two-way mirror, I've got the other. If you need to speak to me, just say my name into it; you'll appear in my mirror and I'll be able to talk in yours. James and I used to use them when we were in separate detentions.**_

**Harry's heart began to race. He remembered seeing his dead parents in the Mirror of Erised four years ago. He was going to be able to talk to Sirius again, right now, he knew it –**

**He looked around to make sure there was nobody else there; the dormitory was quite empty. He looked back at the mirror, raised it in front of his face with trembling hands and said, loudly and clearly, "Sirius."**

**His breath misted the surface of the glass. He held the mirror even closer, excitement flooding through him, but the eyes blinking back at him through the fog were definitely his own.** **He wiped the mirror clear again and said, so that every syllable rang clearly through the room:**

"**Sirius Black!"**

**Nothing happened. The frustrated face looking back out of the mirror was still, definitely, his own…** **Sirius didn't have his mirror on him when he went through the archway, said a small voice in Harry's head. That's why it's not working…**

**Harry remained quite still for a moment, then hurled the mirror back into the trunk where it shattered. He had been convinced, for a whole, shining minute that he was going to see Sirius, talk to him again… Disappointment was burning in his throat; he got up and began throwing his things pell-mell into the trunk on top of the broken mirror -**

**But then an idea struck him… a better idea than a mirror… a much bigger, more important idea… how had he never thought of it before - why had he never asked?**

**He was sprinting out of the dormitory and down the spiral staircase hitting the walls as he ran and barely noticing; he hurtled across the empty common room, through the portrait hole and off along the corridor, ignoring the Fat Lady, who called after him: "The feast is about to start, you know, you're cutting it very fine!"**

**But Harry had no intention of going to the feast…** **How could it be that the place was full of ghosts whenever you didn't need one, yet now…**

**He ran down staircases and along corridors and met nobody either alive or dead. They were all, clearly, in the Great Hall. Outside his Charms classroom he came to a halt, panting and thinking disconsolately that he would have to wait until later, until after the end of the feast…** **But just as he had given up hope, he saw it - a translucent somebody drifting across the end of the corridor.**

"**Hey - hey Nick! NICK!"**

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><p><strong>….<strong>

It was still quite dark outside when a loud and sudden _thud_ broke the peaceful silence. A twisted mound of sheets and bedclothes writhed on the floor of the second level at the Lor'danel inn, a soft groan of pain following shortly in its wake.

"Bloody hell…" the voice slurred a few moments later, still half asleep. The sheets rustled again as a disheveled Sirius resurfaced from beneath all of the cloth and linen, gulping in the fresh night air.

He stumbled to his feet, half slipping on the sheets strewn on the floor, and threw all the linen onto the previously occupied bed. Sirius glanced around the room, bleary eyed.

"What time is it?" Sirius wondered to himself out loud, rubbing the side of his face absently. He winced as a sharp pain lanced through the back of his head. _That's going to leave a bruise…_

Crossing to the other side of the room, he descended the ramp and glanced outside. There he was greeted with the sight of a crescent moon shining dimly from behind a veil of clouds. A soft breeze wafted in from the sea, whistling gently through his sleep-tousled hair. Sirius could make out a few stars peeking out as well, faintly lighting up the dark terrain, although it was still obvious to the wizard that it was nowhere near dawn yet. Grumbling quietly in annoyance, Sirius trudged up the ramp and returned to his room, hoping that he would be able to get back to sleep.

The top floor was, for the most part, unoccupied. During his brief few hours at the inn, Sirius was surprised to discover that no other travelers would be staying there with him. One side of him was grateful for the situation, as he'd finally have some privacy while he slept. On the other hand, the shared facilities that Sirius had gotten himself used to in Teldrassil reminded him quite vividly of his years in the Gryffindor dormitory, the place that had been a home to him for seven years of his life.

Sirius shook his head in an attempt to quell the memories that tried to haunt him, the ones that held better days with joy, mischievousness and laughter with good friends. His shoulders slumped as he frowned, standing in the middle of the room. Since he had appeared in Azeroth, Sirius found it harder to ignore the phantoms of his past during the late hours. It was difficult to find enough peace to sleep, as the memories would always resurface, taunting him with what had and could have been.

He sighed resignedly, collapsing onto the soft mattress – still beneath the large pile that he'd thrown on there a few moments earlier. Sirius paid this no mind, his thoughts elsewhere as he battled with old pains long passed:

That fateful night on Halloween where it all started; Sirius found himself reliving that day. The very beginning, where he found his best friends dead on the floor of their house, their last thoughts evident on their faces. The look of pure defiance on James as he'd battled his last against Voldemort. Lily's a mixture of love for her son and the same determination as her husband. The sight of a very young Harry in his crib, oblivious to the fact that he'd just been orphaned, and unaware of the trials he had yet to face – which turned out to be quite a few.

It had been as if he'd been stabbed; the pain of seeing them in such a way had been devastating. Their loss stayed with Sirius long after, a strange semblance of comfort in his cold, dark cell in Azkaban. It was his fault that they were dead, he was sure.

_I made them change their minds,_ he thought to himself forlornly, staring at the high-slanted ceiling. _ If I hadn't have done that, they'd still be around. Harry would be so much happier, like a normal person his age should. _

The anger of betrayal burned through him next. Sirius clenched his fists, unable to stop the memories. What Peter had done all those years ago was worse than anything he could have imagined.

_He never seemed like the type to do that, but he proved that appearances can be deceiving. _

All those innocent people who died that day, apart from his friends – the fact that the little traitor had gotten away with it, it still made Sirius' blood boil. Sirius still couldn't forget the second time that his ex-friend had escaped; that day he had come so close, he could almost taste the freedom. He'd even offered Harry the chance to stay with him.

The way that boy's face lit up was certainly a highlight of his days; he'd been so hopeful, hopeful that Harry would finally get away from those terrible relatives of his. And only a few hours later, all of it was taken away by that backstabbing rat. Sirius' fingers twitched, almost grasping at his wand, before he stopped himself.

_He's not here,_ Sirius assured himself. _There's nothing I can do about it right now, not until I get back._

Then came the guilt. Why had he blamed Remus? He was always so sensible, betraying his friends would have been unheard of. Looking back, Sirius could see how obvious it was. Remus wasn't the type to pull it off; he was always beating himself up over what he couldn't control. He thought back to the times where he and James had almost gone too far with their troublemaking, only to have Remus reprimand them for their behavior. Sirius laughed bitterly at one particular memory, the sound reaching his ears coming out as a strangled sob.

_Why didn't I believe him?_

He'd also left Harry behind, almost completely alone in a world that depended on him too much. Sure, the Order was there, and his friends from school, but there really wasn't anyone that the boy could turn to for advice. Dumbledore could be helpful to a point, but it just wasn't the same. Sirius regretted not being there for Harry, in his time of need.

_At least Remus is there; although I wish I was, too._

There was only so much that he could do in his position, especially since most believed him to be a mass murderer. And now, Harry was completely out of reach. Sirius could do absolutely nothing for the boy, which left a sinking feeling in his gut. Knowing his godson, Harry was most likely in the middle of some sort of trouble by now. He just hoped that everything would turn out okay.

_He usually wins those battles, but never comes out unscathed. That other boy's death still haunts him, even if it's already been a year; although he hides it from others, it's still easy to see. _

Sirius closed his eyes, trying to fight back the terrible feeling welling up in his chest. He knew that Harry must be feeling guilty at that very moment; he always took everything upon his shoulders. It was one part of the boy that Sirius both admired and despised. Harry blamed himself for a lot of things, even if it wasn't his fault. It was abnormal, and unhealthy. He was sure that the kid's friends attempted to reassure him that that was never the case, but Harry ignored that, whether it was subconscious or not.

_He's probably blaming himself about me right now; if not that, then he's most likely grieving. _Sirius smiled humorlessly before it turned into a grimace. The feeling tightened, practically clutching at his heart in a vice grip. _I hope he can laugh. At least once after all this._

That last thought had done Sirius in. As the last of the memories had faded away, their ghosts still scarred him, never to heal. He was broken. As he reminisced on what had come and gone, his last thoughts were of Harry, the boy who never seemed to give up. The boy who lost everything, yet tried his hardest to help everyone else out. All the regret, all the times Sirius had failed to help his godson, the memories assaulted him from all angles, threatening to crush Sirius under their weight.

Sirius hugged himself then, curling up into a ball, eyes screwed shut. The blankets were completely disregarded beneath him, as well as the rest of the living world. He knew that he'd be hard pressed to find sleep.

_I can't do anything for him now; I've never been able to. _

His will shattered then, and he wept.

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><p><strong>…..<strong>

_There you have it guys, the end of part 9. I know, it's angsty, but I suddenly had this burst of inspiration to write this chapter and put it right here. It's also a bit shorter than a few of my later chapters, but I'm working on it. I'll put together a longer one for part 10. _

_My other plot bunny that I talked about before, I haven't forgotten it. I've just postponed it slightly, so you'll all see it later. _

_Also, after that long wait, I'll probably post the next chapter fairly soon. Got to keep the ball rolling! I hope you liked this chapter; it took me a while to get it right. I've re-read it at least two dozen tmes already, so I thought that I should just put this up and get on with the story._

_I'll stop my a/n for now, and get to work on my next post._

_Peace out!_

_Shadowcaster01_


	10. Shadows

_Wow, two weeks already? Where _does _the time go?_

_That aside guys, as promised, here's part 10._

_Thanks to Isangtao for that amazingly quick review. I didn't think that anyone would comment on it so fast! I'm glad you liked it, and I hope that this next chapter is long enough for you…_

_I won't keep you guys waiting much longer, so here it is._

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><p><strong> …..<strong>

**Shadows**

Sirius awoke early the next morning, tired and groggy from a night of fitful sleep. He was not entirely sure how he had managed it, but he was able to fit in a few hours' rest before he gave up and resigned himself to start the day. Gathering the bedclothes that had almost fallen to the floor the night before, he threw them haphazardly back onto the bed in an attempt to replicate the neat and orderly appearance they had had when he first set foot in the room. Of course, his endeavor turned out to be nothing like what it had been previously.

He frowned at the sight. Sighing, Sirius pulled out his wand and gave it a wave. The sheets flew up into the air and straightened themselves out, before floating back down onto the mattress in a precise manner. He nodded to himself in satisfaction, stowing the wand back in its holster in his sleeve. Sirius wondered briefly why he'd been wearing his wand holster all through the night before; he usually would have noticed something like that. Although, thinking back, he had been a bit preoccupied. He shied away from contemplating on those events for long; he didn't want to end up breaking down again, especially when he had so much to accomplish that day.

Sirius was supposed to meet up with the mining instructor, who had mentioned that the first lesson would be about the fundamentals of the trade. He had to admit that he was curious. What exactly did mining involve in this world? At least he was now able to find out. One small, nagging thought at the back of his mind told him to put a stopper on the excitement. More than likely Sirius would face something that he wouldn't expect, and the initial interest he held for this subject would fade away fairly quickly. He hoped that that wasn't the case. The two trades he was currently undertaking were a sure-fire way to stave off the boredom and subtle feeling of helplessness associated with being so far away from what was familiar to him.

_At least I have my pick,_ he mused silently, peering at the tool in question. It seemed sturdy enough to withstand a large beating, which made it all the more useful, as he was sure that he'd most likely use it incorrectly when he had the chance. Sirius wasn't even certain if the instructor would let him use it at all today. _It could possibly be a theory lesson. _He shrugged. _At least it's something to do._

Apart from mining, the blacksmith he'd visited previously wanted him to return that afternoon to work on more items. Sirius was already looking forward to it, as he had enjoyed the elf's demeanor and teaching style. It made him feel more comfortable with the odd assortment of tools he'd been introduced to a few moments after he'd arrived at the blacksmith's anvil. Although, Sirius hoped that this time around, he wouldn't accidentally burn himself as he had done already. He was positive that burning the skin where he'd previously injured it would spell bad news for his hands, especially if it happened too often in the future.

He glanced down at his palms, noting the pale pink hue the burns retained after taking in so much heat. At least the blacksmith had access to an ice pack; he idly wondered what would have happened if the blacksmith hadn't have shoved his hand into the nearest bucket of water*, before grabbing it again, only to wrap it in cloth and ice. His palms had healed fairly well in such a short time, and he owed it to the blacksmith's experience and quick thinking that had helped him out that day.

Sirius turned to his pack, which was resting against the foot of his bed. The bag was already open, with some of its contents strewn haphazardly around it: mainly his coat and new clothes. Digging further into the pack, he found what he was searching for. The brightly colored cloth was a rich red that Sirius could finally get away with wearing. For the past few years, all that Sirius could access were dull greys and maybe highly muted pastels, and then there was all the time he had spent in the Azkaban prison uniform.

Quite frankly, during the first few weeks he had spent in hiding after Harry and Hermione had saved him back in their third year, he had grown tired of his then-current color scheme. It was an odd thing to note, in hindsight, but Sirius was certainly welcome to change. Finally, he had no fear of being captured due to who he was and what he was framed for, so why not live a little?

Sirius sighed softly, pulling the shirt over his head. Although he was grateful for the peace and goodwill from all he had seen and heard during the past few weeks, it still didn't feel right. It was discomforting to be in such a nice place, minus all the hardships, without the people he had come to know and trust over the years. The thought left a rather empty feeling in the pit of his stomach, which Sirius then tried desperately to shake off.

After throwing on the rest of his new outfit, Sirius grabbed his boots, which had mysteriously ended up near the stairs, and threw them on as well, lacing the leather straps as best as he could. The shoes were rather strange in that regard, they seemed to tie up differently than he was used to seeing back in Britain, whether it was the magical or muggle worlds. He shook his head, exasperated with himself. At the rate he was going, he'd turn up at his lesson at least an hour late. Although the instructor seemed kind enough, Sirius wasn't willing to risk the miner's ire with something so minor.

Shoving his new sword through a loop at his belt, Sirius gathered his pick and a few other things he thought he'd need that morning. In the end, he noticed that he carried a small handful of items, with no place to put them. Sirius snorted, slightly amused with himself. _Maybe I should find myself a smaller bag to carry these things in, to make things easier. _He nodded thoughtfully; _there may be a vendor around who can help me with that._

Sirius knew that transfiguring himself a new bag would be a simple feat, but he had to restrain himself from doing so. There was no telling just how different his magic was from the type practiced here in Azeroth. It made things a little more difficult for the foreign wizard, but Sirius knew that it was for the best if he just tried to blend in with the locals. _They might try to question me or even arrest me for my odd practices, _he mused to himself quietly. _I haven't really seen people use their magic as often, although it could be different with the locals in Stormwind when compared to what I've seen in Teldrassil._ It was odd; to think that something that seemed universal could be so different, although he had to remind himself that he was comparing two separate worlds, which possibly had their own sets of rules and styles of magic.

Sirius found a piece of old cloth lying on the floor under his bed, the corner of which was poking out from beneath his mattress. It took him by surprise, seeing that he could have missed such an odd coincidence, and the irony of it wasn't missed either. Reaching underneath the bed, he pulled out the piece of fabric, and was surprised by the amount that was there. It was a faded cut of grey linen, with patches of the darker, original color showing in some places.

Considering the length of the material, Sirius was sure that he could create several smaller bags out of it; either that or one really thick and sturdy bag that would last a long time. Sirius figured that the latter would be the best choice, seeing as he wasn't sure of what was available in the bag department. For now, the bag he was considering would be what he'd have to rely on until he could find something of better quality, and he was uncertain about how long it would take him to find one.

Sirius held out his wand, ready to cast the spell necessary, but paused instead, considering. _Maybe I'll do this just the one time, _he finally decided after a few moments of silence. _No one can see me up here, so they wouldn't be able to do anything about it. _Sirius nodded to himself, _after this I'll try to restrain myself from using my magic, until I've seen enough evidence here that proves it'll be okay to use it in this world._ Sirius smiled faintly, satisfied with his reasoning.

He stared at his wand for a few seconds, to come up with the best spell to use for the purpose it was needed for. When he was sure of his choice, he cast the spell, aiming it at the slightly worn cloth he held in his hand. The material writhed for a moment, before shifting and contorting itself into a small brown pouch that could hang from his belt. Gathering the various items he felt that he would need that morning, Sirius shoved them into the little bag and threaded the small straps through the loop next to his sword.

_What if it's like Astara and the map she gave me? _He asked himself. _What if the magic used here is almost entirely wandless? _He had seen a few people in Darnassus holding out wands, so he knew that at least if someone saw his, it wouldn't be too much of a problem. What concerned him was the fact that there weren't too many people who seemed to have their _own_ wands, which led him to his current conclusion. _It would certainly be interesting to learn how to use wandless magic, _Sirius mused. _Although, the type of magic the people use here in Azeroth might not be compatible back in my world._ He shook his head. _Maybe I should stop overanalyzing this for now, and consider my circumstances later; I _do _have a mining lesson to attend to, and I'd rather not disappoint my new instructor by being late._

With these thoughts in mind, Sirius grabbed his new pick, which had been resting near the head of his bed, and headed down the ramp towards the inn's front desk. The silent elf woman was already there, and she waved to Sirius politely in greeting. Sirius inclined his head to her, before glancing around for the nearest food vendor, whom he found behind the desk next to the innkeeper. Seeing as he had little time left before meeting the miner, Sirius was left with the simplest option in terms of a morning meal. After paying for the loaf of bread, cheese and water, Sirius hurried out of the front entrance to the inn, making his way over to the agreed meeting place for his first lesson.

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It had taken some navigating to reach the meeting place the instructor had indicated, and even then, Sirius had found himself to be early for the lesson. It was a small outcropping overlooking the seaside, carpeted by the region's dark grass and studded with a small grouping of boulders near the edge of the slight cliff-face. A few trees blocked any view of the forest that loomed behind him, which led into the deeper parts of Darkshore.

He had been surprised to discover that he was the only person there for at least half an hour – by British standards, anyway. Sirius didn't hesitate to take advantage of his situation, which he did by settling himself down underneath the shade of a nearby tree to wolf down his meager breakfast. After sating his hunger, the wizard deemed it necessary to wander around the area to get his bearings; not too far, but far enough to gain a better look at what was nearby.

His short walk didn't reveal much more than what had already been visible: lurking nightstalkers and those strange cassowaries weren't too hard to find, nor were the large brown bears that had been noticeable from the harbor. And, to his distaste, Sirius found the self-same plants that had been the bane of his existence whilst wandering alone in Teldrassil for the first few days; those spiny, silvery leaves were a dead giveaway, and Sirius had been hoping that he'd seen the last of them when he had boarded that ship a couple of days ago.

When Sirius had been contemplating to return to the middle of Lor'danel to search for the instructor, in case they had forgotten about the meeting entirely, he heard what sounded as if multiple pieces of metal were clinking against each other. It came in a steady rhythm, much similar to the regular pace set while walking, or the beat to a muggle song. The first moment it reached his ears, Sirius was startled out of his musings; after the initial shock had worn off, however, he downplayed the incident to being part of his overactive imagination. For the past few minutes, Sirius had been hoping for some sort of sign that he hadn't been played for a fool. This random occurrence had almost convinced him that it was true.

Sirius was startled yet again when he spotted some movement out of the corner of his eye. He spun around as it approached, hoping that whoever – or whatever – was coming wouldn't make him regret his slight hesitation in pulling out his wand overtly.

"Who's there?" Sirius called out sharply, eyes narrowing at the place he had last seen a silhouette. He drew his wand out slowly, his eyes not leaving the spot he was focused on, before scanning the surrounding area for any other movements.

The rising sun had cast long shadows over the clearing he was in, directed by the closely huddled trees that framed the old forest behind him. Of course, these shadows didn't help his tired eyes; any noticeable darkness in the trees gave Sirius pause. The calm and peaceful sounds of his environment didn't help to ease his apprehension either, as his call had yet to be answered. The sound was growing steadily louder, and Sirius was reluctant to hang around any longer than necessary. He remembered the words of caution one of the harbor sentinels had given him on his first morning in Lor'danel: to be careful when leaving the town.

Sirius idly wondered whether it would be a good idea to just leave; the instructor still hadn't arrived by this point, and he was sure that it was well past the aforementioned time provided by the cheerful miner. He called out again, straining his ears for any response. Sirius was given none. He sighed, frowning, anxious to vacate the premises.

"I'll give it a few more minutes," He mused quietly, his voice barely above a whisper.

So Sirius sat back, and waited. It felt like an eternity, seated where he was, with no real assurances that he was completely safe. The rumors that had circulated around on board the ship while he was still above deck had painted quite the picture of how terrible the current long-standing war had become. _I leave one war, only to run into another, _he thought to himself. He shrugged. _It's amazing the amount of trouble I seem to get myself into these days._

He pulled back the sleeve of his new, red shirt to glance at an old, battered watch that clamped around his wrist. The gold backing and sides to the piece were tarnished and the glass was slightly scratched. Even the leather strap that held it together was well worn and close to falling apart, but Sirius was reluctant to part with such an important sentimental item. It was a gift from his best friend for his seventeenth birthday, after he had left his relatives' house for good. Sirius could still quite vividly recall the look of triumph that adorned James' face the day that he'd opened the packaging, an expression of pure astonishment clearly readable on his _own_ face…

But it wasn't time to dwell on the past. Sirius shook his head to dispel the memories, although pleasant, from the forefront of his mind. It wasn't the best moment to relive the nostalgia he had felt during those times just before he had begun his final year at school. Shifting his gaze back down at the watch, he noted that quite enough time had passed to warrant him leaving without completely offending the now-forgetful instructor, who might later demand why he hadn't been there that morning.

Sirius shrugged. It was the instructor's loss of an interested student, curious to learn more about the world he currently inhabited. If the miner wasn't going to arrive to his own planned lesson on time, then what was the point of Sirius having to be there with nothing to do?

_I might as well leave now, _he finally concluded after a few more moments. _It's hard to believe that the elf was a complete no-show… _Sighing slightly in disappointment, Sirius collected his small assortment of belongings that he had taken with him, stood, and began to make his way back to the small town center. Maybe mining wasn't the best occupation for him after all…

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_Okay guys, there's part 10. _

_At least this time my explanations didn't take up a nice chunk of the story. I was going to put the whole day up here for you, but I decided to split it in two instead. Thanks to all the people who have alerted/added to favorites between chapter 9 and now, I appreciate your support._

_*Okay, for this asterisk, I have a bit of an interesting story. I had a metalworking teacher in high school (7__th__ grade) that was doing a demonstration while heating up some metal, and he actually picked it up _with his bare hands_! After giving a yelp in surprise and pain – which caused quite a few sniggers from his audience – he plunged his hand into the nearest bucket of water. Hence, my inspiration for that part. True story._

_Maybe this end note _did _take up a bunch of space – well, looking at it now, I mean - but this chapter, without my a/n, is about 3000 words, so it isn't that short. Hope you guys like it!_

_Until next time, peace out!_

_Shadowcaster01_


	11. The simple things

_Hey guys,_

_Sorry for the long wait. I know that I have the same reason, but I had a lot of things come up at once._

_As always, I appreciate the support from everyone who alerted or added this to favorites, along with those other people who are just following. Another round of thanks goes to Isangtao and Sharnorasian Empire for their reviews._

_Isangtao, I hope that this is long enough for you…_

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><p><strong>…<strong>

**The simple things**

"Pass that over here, will you?" The blacksmith motioned toward the stack of bronze bars resting by the back wall of the inn.

Sirius glanced over at the pile and nodded, collecting a couple pieces from it and handing them to his instructor, who set them down beside him and smiled in thanks before returning to his anvil. The sound of metal colliding rang throughout the harbor as the blacksmith pounded on a cherry red fastening for one of the more complicated pieces they were working on that afternoon.

He had been spending most of his free time working alongside the blacksmith, which the elf really didn't seem to mind. Sirius figured it was due to the fact that he gained an extra pair of hands to help him finish his quotas on time. At the beginning, all Sirius was expected to do was to give much of the larger pieces their main shape, for his instructor to finish and critique later on. More recently, it seemed that his work had paid off, since Sirius was being given a few challenges each time he arrived to help out.

It had been several weeks since he had arrived in Lor'danel, making his total time spent in Azeroth roughly two and a half months. At first, Sirius had planned to remain in the harbor town for about a week before departing for the Eastern Kingdoms. His plan had been foiled the very day he was scheduled to leave, as he realized that he'd slept in too late to catch the boat there. To his dismay, he'd made it to the dock just in time to watch the boat pull out of the harbor, the dockmaster telling him that there was no chance for it to turn around and collect him. He'd have to either wait for a week to leave from Rut'theran, or remain where he was for two. Sirius chose the latter.

There were several reasons for his choice. The first was that he could learn a whole lot more from the blacksmith if he remained where he was. He rather liked the night elf instructor, who had eventually introduced himself as Taryel Firestrike. He had a great sense of humor and a fairly relaxed demeanor, which had immediately set him at ease.

Sirius also made some friends amongst the other denizens of Lor'danel; Maura and Selena Starsong, the two sentinels he'd first talked to by the inn, were always friendly and extremely helpful. He'd find himself chatting with the sisters for well over an hour. They'd invited him over to their shared residence a few times for their lunch break, or even at the end of their guard shift in the evenings. He rather enjoyed spending time with them, laughing at their jokes or sharing stories, as he'd never had a chance to have a social life since his best friend died fifteen years ago.

There was also the flight master, Teldira Moonfeather, whose stern personality reminded him much of Minerva McGonagall, although he'd never tell the elf that. She was kind to him, yes, but about half of the time it seemed as though she was chastising him for something. Sometimes he would talk to her about how the rest of the world was faring, she appeared to be the one who knew most of these things, being fairly well traveled. Her stories of Kalimdor and the Eastern continent always intrigued him, and he found himself returning to her usual spot a few times a week to hear more.

Sirius shook his head and re-focused on his work; he'd been given a half-finished hammer, the head of which still needed some work to bring out its distinctive shape. He didn't mind the task at all, especially since it had been so straightforward. _Beat this into shape _sounded a lot easier than _find some way to interlink these tiny bits of metal together to make chain mail_, and Sirius preferred it that way, at least for the moment. That didn't stop Sirius from anticipating the time when that concept wouldn't seem as complicated as it did right then. At some point, he'd be able to take on a lot of this himself – which would mean that he could actually make some good money later on. Taryel told him in no uncertain terms that the profession was in high demand. Most, if not all, would need a blacksmith for various reasons.

He held his work up to the light to get a better look at it. It was still slightly out of shape, but if anyone asked him, Sirius thought he had done a rather good job at it.

"For a first attempt with a smaller piece, that's not too bad," A voice suddenly boomed from over his shoulder. Sirius yelped with surprise, almost dropping the unfinished hammer, and glared at the speaker.

Firestrike stood there grinning at Sirius as if Christmas had come early. If Sirius hazarded a guess, it was probably the elf's pride at how well things had turned out over the past week or so. _A new apprentice who is doing well at what he's learning. If it was the other way around, I'd probably feel the same way; although I'm not sure if I'd go around startling people because of it. _Sirius grumbled inaudibly under his breath, a hand resting over his heart to slow it down. The elf was mad if he thought that that was a good idea, especially when it concerned a bunch of sharp and sometimes heavy tools, and who could forget the abundance of fire…

"Sirius?" Sirius was drawn out of his musings, aware of a clicking sound somewhere near his ears. He blinked.

"Sirius, are you still here?" The voice paused. "Hello?"

Sirius sighed in exasperation as he realized that the blacksmith was standing in front of him, waving one of his slender hands in front of the wizard's face. The elf's frown betrayed a brief twinge of worry, which quickly evaporated when he noticed Sirius' expression.

"I'm fine," Sirius answered. "Just lost in thought for a second." He held up the hammer he had been working on. "Any advice on how to improve this?"

The smith nodded, taking the piece out of Sirius' unresisting hands. He turned it over a few times, murmuring softly to himself. _Probably analyzing every little thing, _Sirius thought to himself, as he watched. Taryel's eyes met the wizard's again.

"See along here?" He began, drawing a finger down the edge of one side of the hammer. "You need to straighten it out some more, to keep it smooth and even. No one can make a perfect circle, but you need to get as close as you can."

_I can see what he means, mine still looks a bit crooked, _Sirius glanced at one of the finished hammers that the blacksmith held up to compare the two.

"And over here," the elf motioned again, pointing to a different spot. "This end looks better, but the side of the hammer needs to be flattened more." He placed the two projects down. "You're doing fairly well with the tasks I have given you so far, but they're not even." Picking up Sirius' work, the elf pointed at a few spots. "See over here, where this side is rounder than the other, and over here," he motioned again, "where the side of the hammer is straighter than the other…"

Sirius nodded to his instructor as each point was raised. _I guess it all makes sense, mine are almost always lopsided. _

"-so the main thing you need to focus on is consistency, try to keep them all symmetrical. I know that you don't like lectures, if your face this entire time has been any indication-"

Sirius smiled sheepishly at the comment.

"-but you've been a really good student and I'd love to see you excel at this; I know that you're capable, you just need to see it for yourself." Taryel regarded Sirius with an odd expression, which seemed like a mix between admiration and disappointment, but then it softened. "I won't bring this up again today," he concluded "but that doesn't mean I'll forget it. Return to your project now, and show me how you're doing with it in an hour."

Sirius murmured his understanding and regarded the slightly misshapen hammer he had been working on. _Now to figure out just how it is that I'll be able to make it look better… _He sighed, shoulders slumping. _Let's face it, I have no clue._

* * *

><p><strong>…..<strong>

Sirius left the blacksmith feeling slightly worn out. At the end of the session, he'd received some praise on his slight improvement on the hammer, followed by more constructive criticism on how to do better. At times he felt fairly frustrated with the seemingly slow progress he'd made with his lessons, but Taryel assured him that it would be best to make sure Sirius fully understood the concepts, and perform them well, before he advanced to the next level.

Most of the time Sirius found himself leaving the blacksmith during the early evening, a full three or four hours since he'd started his learning; sometimes it was even longer than that. He didn't mind, as long as it distracted him from feeling as if he'd never return home, which still bothered him every once in a while.

Sirius waved to the innkeeper, who was, as usual, sitting behind the counter that dominated the main floor of the building. She smiled demurely at him in response, inclining her head at him politely. He greeted the other vendors who regulated the inn as he passed them, including the food sales-elf beside the innkeeper, before ascending the ramp which led to the guest rooms for board.

When he reached the top level, Sirius dropped his possessions onto the bed he had claimed for the past three weeks, placing them in a heap at the foot of it and collapsing onto the mattress sideways, not caring about how odd it may look.

During the time he had spent in Lor'danel, only two people had stayed at the top floor with him. There was a strange man whose face almost resembled something you'd find in the depths of a lake; the man had taken his rude stare in stride and immediately explained that yes, he was a Draenei and no, he wasn't originally from this planet. This response, instead of pacifying Sirius, had intrigued him more and he ended up annoying the alien with questions about his home world, how he got to Azeroth in the first place, and what he thought about this world. Eventually, after about an hour, the Draenei had had enough. Sirius was told in no uncertain terms to shut up, after which his roommate decided to camp in the first tier bedroom.

The time he'd met the second guest was fairly different. Sirius knew at that point that it was best not to annoy your roommate with a constant stream of questions with barely any room for answering them. In hindsight, Sirius could see Arthur Weasley having more trouble getting by in Azeroth than muggle world Britain, if only because of the strange people he'd encounter and then irritate.

It had been another male occupant who'd been in there with him, and this one appeared to be human. He'd betrayed himself at one point when Sirius entered the room two days after the new person's arrival. Needless to say, this person wasn't as strange as he'd thought; Sirius didn't think that there would be werewolves in Azeroth, but he'd been proven wrong. Although, when Sirius finally gathered enough courage to bring it up, the _worgen _had corrected him on what his people were referred to as. The man left shortly afterwards.

A strange ringing filled the room, reminding him of a handful of small silver bells. Sirius sat up in surprise, eyes darting around him as he fumbled for his wand. He lowered his wand as he located the source of the noise. It was coming from his pack. He pulled out the small emerald gem from one of the side flaps, watching intently as it flashed its brief notice: he had mail. Sirius chuckled quietly to himself as he pocketed the jewel; at least it wasn't an emergency. He scooped up his coin purse and sword, attaching them to his belt as he made his way to the ramp, securing his wand to the holster in his sleeve as he went.

He nodded to the staff inside the inn and found the mailbox sitting just outside the entrance. A couple of sentinels were still there, probably nearing the end of their guard shift. Sirius smiled at the pair, saying a quick hello as he brought out his gem to sync with the mailbox. A few moments passed and he was rewarded with a small bundle sitting inside; it was fairly light and sturdy, perhaps it was placed in some kind of box…

"How was your lesson today, Sirius?" A kind voice asked.

Sirius wasn't completely aware of his surroundings when he'd retrieved his mail, but not too far gone to be taken off guard. Maura was directly behind him, along with Selena, who looked hopeful that they'd receive some kind of answer before the end of the day. Sirius smiled sheepishly.

"It was alright," he replied, shrugging. "I think I might be improving, and Firestrike seems to keep putting up with me, so I'd call that a good sign."

Maura laughed, Selena smiled, and Sirius grinned at them both.

"You're always joking around, Sirius," Selena piped up. "Are you ever true to your name?"

Sirius' smile faded slightly, "Sometimes," he answered.

"Is that from Astara?" Maura asked him, indicating the small bundle he now carried. Sirius nodded, relieved at her merciful change of subject. He had told them about his friend from Teldrassil, who, not surprisingly, was fairly well known by the Starsongs. It seemed that almost all of the night elves knew each other fairly well; it was something about their close community ties, which Sirius wished could be learned by the magical world back home.

"Are you two sending gifts to each other now?" Selena asked him with a calculating expression on her face, and continued on at Sirius' puzzled expression. "She's rather pretty, isn't she?" She grinned as Sirius flushed, the implications of the question catching up with him.

"Not in _that_ way, no." He waved his hands in front of him to emphasize his point, face heating up further when Selena laughed outright. "As friends, yes."

"You do realize that she says these things to rile you up, right Sirius?" Maura chuckled, swatting her sister's arm playfully as she frowned at being caught. With her added advantage of height, she also messed up Selena's hair a little, making it fall out of its impeccable horsetail. Selena retaliated by tugging at Maura's braid. Sirius rolled his eyes at the scene they made, both bickering amicably and shoving each other playfully.

"We're just friends and pen pals, Selena; nothing more than that," he assured her, trying hard to ignore the smug look on her face and the fact that his blush had yet to disappear. He was sure that his reaction wouldn't convince her, no matter how true his statement was; he decided to drop the issue for the moment.

Selena rolled her eyes at Sirius' response, but after receiving a stern look from her older sister, she decided it was best not to comment on it for now. Maura smiled at her sister in silent thanks before returning her attention to their newer friend.

"Did you want to come with us for supper?" She asked him. "We haven't had the chance to truly talk to you at length for a while now, what with how you're so busy learning Taryel's trade."

Sirius smiled. Why not?

* * *

><p><strong>…..<strong>

"-and then Maura had to apologize about five times before he could look at her the same again, it was absolutely hilarious!" Selena exclaimed gleefully, to her sister's embarrassment, Sirius chuckling along with her.

"That's not all that bad," Sirius began, still laughing. "You would have loved to see how my friend James completely embarrassed himself every day for this one girl while we were growing up."

Selena leaned forwards in anticipation, urging him to continue with the story. Maura rolled her eyes at her sister's antics.

"He'd go to extraordinary lengths to catch her attention, but for the most part it would end up angering her further." Sirius frowned. "For some reason he never got that his schemes made everything much worse; we would tell him that all the time."

"What happened next?" Selena asked, eyes wide. "Did she get him back?"

"Sometimes she did, but most of the time she would just yell at him," he chuckled. "The funniest part is, for all of the time she spent hating him for it, she actually married him."

Selena burst out laughing. "Really?" She choked out, trying to breathe.

Sirius nodded, grinning. "I don't think he ever let her live that down, either."

It had been a couple of hours since Sirius had agreed to visit the two sentinels at their residence that evening. The three of them had been reminiscing about some of the stranger and more amusing aspects of their lives to keep their minds off of the real world for a while. By that point, their plates were still at the table in front of them, long forgotten in their discussion of happier times. In a way, it had brought Sirius some closure he didn't think he'd ever get. Talking about his closest friends during their school days seemed to be much easier than he thought it would be, and he supposed that it was due to the pair sitting right there with him.

The casual way in which they viewed the world reminded him of his own carefree days before he was forced to take part in the wizarding war over a decade ago. He was thankful that there were still people out there like this, and that gave him hope that someday, things would change for the better. For now, in the time he had been given, Sirius would strive to live his life to the fullest by learning as much as he could.

Sirius glanced back over at the two elven women across from him, currently laughing at some inside joke. Maura rolled her eyes at Selena, who was making a face in response to her sister's comment. Selena swatted at her, missing her target when Maura swerved out of the way. She almost planted her face in the table, since she had swung a bit too wide. Sirius laughed.

"This fight isn't going to escalate too much, is it?" He enquired of his friends. "I'd rather know in advance, that way I can hide now to avoid being in your way-"

A cushion collided with his face. He stared at the offending item, which had fallen in his lap, and then returned his gaze to the girls.

"That's it," he said. "Payback time!"

Cushions flew back and forth through the room in a flurry of confusion. He ducked under a chair as two sailed towards him, collecting three to chuck back. It was about five minutes of flying material before they called a truce and proceeded to pick up the mess they created. They were sorting out the dishes from their shared meal when they finally decided to talk again.

"Thanks for inviting me over," Sirius began, handing the now dry plate over to Maura, who replaced it in its usual spot in the cupboard.

Selena waved him off. "It's no problem," she told him, passing a wet glass to him, which he took carefully. "You're always welcome to come over for a chat, we don't mind the company."

Maura murmured her agreement as she put a dry glass back on its shelf.

"Your strangeness is always a refreshing way to end our day…" Selena's comment was left hanging at the combination of Sirius' confused expression and her sister's stern look. Maura added to the warning by giving her a slight shove.

"How am I strange?"

"Some of the things you say are a bit confusing, especially some of those phrases of yours." Maura nodded in agreement.

"She does have a point, Sirius," Maura told him. "When you said you were _mates_ with someone, for example. It really threw us off."

Sirius sighed, resisting the urge to face palm at his obvious social blunders. But then again, how would he know what turns of phrase are normal and acceptable here? He'd only been in civilization for two months, and apparently that was nothing compared to the much larger cities, like Ironforge and Stormwind.

"It means friend," Sirius mumbled glumly, embarrassed.

"We gathered as much from the context," Selena replied.

"Don't worry about it too much, though," Maura cut in again. "It doesn't change the fact that you're a good friend. You're still the same person, after all."

"It does change a few things," Sirius pointed out. "Like the fact that I now feel incredibly stupid…"

"Oh, come on, Sirius," Selena sighed. "Don't be like that. People make mistakes all the time."

"She's right," Maura said a bit louder. "I mean, Selena forgets to shut the door at least once a day when we leave our house, as well as few other things that seem to slip her mind on a daily basis…"

Selena shoved her sister, who shoved her in retaliation. Sirius backed away before he could get pulled into the sudden mock fight, the sisters laughing the whole time.

When everything was tidied up, Sirius said his farewells for the night and returned to the inn. A few of the vendors had already left for their homes that night, apart from the innkeeper, who waved to him politely with a small smile. He waved back tiredly and trudged his way up the ramp to his room, falling onto his mattress with a satisfied sigh. He dropped his possessions onto the floor next to him, not caring about the thud the bag mad as it hit the wooden boards beneath him. There were a couple shouts of indignation from the other travellers using the room downstairs, but again he didn't care.

He sat up abruptly, leaning over the edge of his bed. He grabbed the still unopened package he'd received that afternoon in the mail. _May as well find out what this is all about…_

Sirius and Astara had been sending letters back and forth for the past few weeks, practically a couple of days after his second blacksmithing lesson. He'd been surprised when he had first heard the chiming of his gem telling him to locate the nearest letterbox to retrieve his mail. Upon opening the letter, Sirius was astonished to find that Astara had practically demanded to know why he hadn't written to her yet. After the first paragraph, she had proceeded to ask him a great deal of questions about his trip, how he found Azeroth so far, and so on.

After getting over the initial shock of the first letter, and her reply to his rather short one back, they had been sending one to each other at least every second or third day. Selena had found this to be hysterically funny, since she hadn't pinned Sirius to be the _writing type_ as she put it. Of course, after her comment, Maura burst out laughing when she caught him frowning at them.

After tearing the paper off, there was a note lying on top of a small wooden box. He unfolded the parchment, turning it over to see how long the message was, before turning it back over to the beginning to read it.

_Sirius,_

_How's everything going? Is Firestrike treating you well? What about the girls, Selena's not teasing you again, is she?_

_I've finally finished my work here in Teldrassil and will be on my way over to Stormwind in a few weeks when the ship returns. Maybe we could catch up in the Trade District? I know a really good place there that we could meet, and after that I could show you the lesser known parts of the city, how about it?_

_Roxy has been learning a few new tricks. You remember my pet fox? Anyway, he's becoming fairly proficient with charging; I was worried he wouldn't get it at first, but he finally seems to understand how it works._

_Have you given much thought to what you want to learn here? You seemed fairly torn between several that I mentioned to you before you left. Have you decided yet? If you have any questions about them, be sure to ask. I might not have all the answers, but I know a few people around here that will._

_You're probably wondering why I sent you this box. It's a bit sudden, but I thought you might like a little welcoming gift in celebration of nearly three months in Azeroth without too much trouble. I think you've done fairly well in that regard._

_You'll find enclosed a few small fireworks I managed to haggle to a manageable price from one of the vendors here in Darnassus. Also, I sent you a few trinkets to help you with your fishing, since it seems to still be your main source of income. I'll be hoping to hear some amazing fishing stories based on your brilliant catches in the next few weeks._

_Have a great journey, and Happy Midsummer!_

_Astara._

Sirius smiled as he finished the letter. He set it down on the pillow next to him and turned to the small box. It was a richly varnished piece, simple and elegantly designed. The lifted the latch at the side and the lid swung open smoothly, revealing a tiny pile of mini firecrackers and some odd looking baubles that had to be the fishing trinkets Astara mentioned. They were in various bright shades of blue, green, red and yellow, and practically screamed cheerful.

Sirius shook his head, still smiling. Now he had to send he a thank you note. He leaned over the edge of his bed again, this time grabbing a quill, inkwell and a few pieces of parchment. He cleared out a space in front of him to set them all down, using the wooden box as a makeshift table. He then began to write.

_Astara,_

_It's great to hear that you've finally finished what you started over there. Must be a relief. _

_Things are going just fine on my end. Taryel seems to be happy with some of my work, although he still finds the time to really critique my attempts at the jobs he gives me. Apart from that, he is a great person to be around. _

_Yes, fishing is still my main profession. I haven't caught many big fish lately, but the ones that I do catch still earn me enough to stay at the inn. Although, if I suddenly wasn't able to afford it, I have an inkling that the Starsongs would make me stay at their house; I've been invited over there too many times to count lately. _

_When I get to Stormwind, I'll try to find you there. What's this place called? I'll make sure that I find it when I arrive. How many lesser known places are in that city? How big is Stormwind, I don't think anyone's ever mentioned its size. I'd have a better idea of what I'm up against if I knew. Not to say that I'll be looking for trouble, which isn't what I mean, but I hope you get what I meant…_

_Thanks for the package. I'll be using these baubles tomorrow , so here's to hoping I reel in a huge fish. Can these firecrackers be set off anywhere, or are there regulations? And how long does Midsummer last? I've heard that it's going to start in a couple of days, but I haven't had the chance to ask about it. What's the festival about?_

_Hope you have a safe journey on the way to Stormwind, and I'll be looking forward to catch up with you._

_Happy Midsummer,_

_Sirius._

He read the letter a few times, letting the ink dry as he did so. When he was satisfied with it, he folded it in half and placed it in his bag along with the quill, closed bottle of ink, and unused parchment.

_I'll send this off in the morning._

It didn't take Sirius very long to get himself settled for the night, it was no time at all that found him sleeping soundly on top of his sheets, too exhausted to bother fixing it up.

* * *

><p><strong>…..<strong>

The following morning had found Sirius back at the Blacksmith's anvil, hammering away at another small project Taryel had given him to complete. He would bash each little piece into shape and hand it over to his instructor, who soldered them together for him. After that part, Sirius was handed the still incomplete project to smooth out any rough edges. The end result was a gauntlet - two, in fact, which meant that he had to repeat the long and arduous set of tasks all over again.

Taryel had to hand a few pieces back to Sirius about half the time, since apparently he hadn't shaped them properly, much to Sirius' chagrin. He had left his lesson that afternoon slightly dissatisfied with himself.

Since he really didn't have anything else to do to occupy his time, Sirius decided to explore the area a bit more. He had been stuck in town for the past few weeks, and was looking forward to seeing more of the world. With his mind made up, Sirius had returned to his room to collect his pack. He strapped on his sword, secured his wand and swung his bag over his shoulder, all ready to go. He'd even visited the food vendor in case he was out too long.

Before leaving, he stopped by the mailbox. After syncing up with his gem, Sirius sent his letter off to Astara, closed the connection, and returned the small jewel to its usual place in his pack.

A little while later, Sirius found himself at the bridge that divided Lor'danel with the rest of Darkshore. He stared the wooden construction for a few moments, tightened his grip on his bag, and crossed it. A few moments after reaching the other side, Sirius came across a sign, which appeared to be fairly old. There were a bunch of names that he didn't recognize, and no indication of their distance from his current location. Sirius would be forced to guess.

_Well, I'm not going to go very far,_ Sirius mused quietly. _So, really, it doesn't matter which way I go._ He pulled out his compass, comparing the readings to the directions given by the signs. In the end, he decided to try exploring the northern part of the zone. So, with that choice out of the way, he followed the path leading towards Mathystra, which turned out to be some old ruins. He opted to stay out of that area, especially upon discovering the group of banshees hovering around in the distance. It didn't surprise him too much to find that those particular creatures existed in Azeroth as well as Earth. If werewolves, did, why not banshees?

_I wonder what Professor Binns would say about this place? Or Remus, even? I know Hermione would be scrambling for the nearest book…_

He spent a total of ten minutes at the ruins, mainly staring at the various creatures that occupied the land around it. Ghosts and vagrant spirits seemed to be in abundance there, and Sirius didn't like to entertain the thought of what might happen if he were to cross paths with one of them. He shuddered briefly before moving on.

The road became a dirt path, which wound its way around the trees, seemingly much closer to him now. The implications of this set him on edge; should he turn around?

After a few moments the answer was made for him. He had caught a glimpse of a small collection of what appeared to be shacks. He wasn't even given a chance to explore his find any further when he felt a sharp pain blossom at the back of his head. The world around him darkened as Sirius slumped to the ground.

* * *

><p>…<p>

_There you have it, part 11._

_This chapter turned out to be fairly different than what I had originally planned it to be when I put up part 10. Part 12 is still on the drawing board at the moment, but I might be able to put that up a bit sooner this time. Sorry that you guys had to wait for so long; hopefully I'll be able to update more frequently in the future._

_Thanks to everyone who's read this far, and here's to hoping you stay till the end._

_Until next time, peace out!_

_Shadowcaster01_


	12. Meeting the enemy

_Hey guys,_

_The time really did go by, didn't it? I had been hoping to post this earlier, so that it would be one year since I put up the first chapter, but it wasn't ready in time. It's been a trying few weeks, and I thank you all for your amazing amount of patience so far…_

_A big thank you to Waveblade for being the first reviewer for this story, as well as everyone else over the past year, your input has been fairly helpful._

_And now, here we are, one year and twelve chapters later…_

_It's been great to see so many of you guys staying on board as this story progresses forward. Thanks to everyone who's alerted or just following, your support is much appreciated. And much thanks to Sharnorasian Empire, Isangtao, plums, and K. Ogden for their reviews. _

* * *

><p><strong> …..<strong>

**Meeting the enemy**

Sirius was first aware of the silence.

It wasn't the ordinary kind of quiet, usually associated with when most of the more obvious sounds were removed to leave room for those that were overlooked. Sirius could identify quite well with this kind; it reminded you that you were still there, firmly rooted in reality and mostly in control of your situation. Unfortunately, this was not what Sirius woke up to.

The noiselessness of the room was such that he'd strain to hear even a pin drop over the blood roaring in his ears. Even a few moments of this were enough to set him on edge. It took him back to desperate moments during his incarceration, when he was almost certain that he'd tip over into insanity any second. Sirius could almost feel the chill in the air from when dementors had floated past.

A wave of pain rolled through him, most likely from lying in an awkward position for who knew how long. Sirius shifted slightly to relieve some of the stress on his joints. His hand brushed against the cold, hard floor beneath him.

He shook his head to dispel the memories and keep himself calm; there was no need to panic – not yet anyway – not if he could help it. Sirius pried his eyes open hesitantly and breathed a sigh of relief. The room he was in was still a prison cell, but it looked nothing like the one he occupied for so long those few years ago. It was also much cleaner.

He found himself in a small cell surrounded by dull stone walls. There was no natural light to see by, as Sirius couldn't spot any windows. A small brazier that hung from the low ceiling allowed him to glance around his immediate surroundings, no more than a meter or two away. Thick metal bars were faintly recognizable off to the side, partially hidden by the darkness of the hallway beyond it. Sirius was certain that, even in animagus form, he'd be unable to squeeze through them to his freedom.

This led to the inevitable question that commanded the most attention: Where was he, and how did he get to where he was? He hoped that the answer would present itself soon; Sirius was not known for being patient. Being left alone with his thoughts for too long would leave him open to very rash decisions, some that he was most likely to regret later on.

He was sure that this wasn't the first place he'd been taken since being unconscious, as he vaguely remembered dark shadows obscuring some sort of clearing. The most vivid part he could recall was the bright green leaves of the trees in the background, behind the tall figures that had surrounded him. It hadn't been too long before he surrendered into the darkness for what seemed like a short time before waking up again. _Probably a concussion..._ And now he was here, in this strange cell, who knew where.

Sirius sat up slowly, wincing. He was sure that he hadn't moved for at least a day or two, if the unpleasantness of the simple action was anything to go by. Peering into the gloom around him, he couldn't see anything he could use to help his situation; his bag was missing, but Sirius expected that. His captors would have been incredibly foolish if they left it here. Searching through his pockets and sleeves, he found that his wand had been taken as well.

_I guess these guys like to be thorough,_ Sirius thought to himself wryly, gazing at the empty holster on his arm. _There's really nothing much to do but wait…_

So he did, for several mind-numbing hours. It was incredibly difficult for such a highly strung person to sit still for any extended period of time, even when such a course of action could save his life. Sirius knew that there was nothing for him to do apart from lounging about twiddling his thumbs, but that didn't mean that he had to _like_ it.

Most of this time was spent going over everything he remembered hearing about Azeroth from the various individuals he'd met so far. It wasn't much, and Sirius knew that the huge gaps in his knowledge base were soon going to be reduced at some point in the near future, but at least it kept him occupied. He'd glance around the room every few minutes, hoping that someone would show up and finally put his curious anxiety to rest.

Just when he had about given up on seeing anyone sometime soon, soft, deliberate footsteps echoed quietly through the hallway. As the sound grew closer, Sirius made sure that he was as far away from the bars as possible. With his back to the wall, he waited with baited breath for the newcomer to approach his cell.

He didn't have to wait for long. The footfalls ended abruptly at some point near the front of his cell, a few mere moments before the telltale creaking of a door hinge alerted him to the newcomer's entry. As the stranger closed the door behind them and walked closer, it was hard not to notice the distinct differences they had compared to himself. The stranger was much taller and bulkier – which was surprising, given how quietly they had wandered through the building – and, as they came further into the light, it wasn't too hard to figure out why…

They weren't human.

Sirius wasn't sure just what it was yet, but he knew that he couldn't label the creature by his own standards. It didn't really look like anything he could actually recognize, either. Apart from being incredibly tall, it had a greyish pallor to its skin that didn't seem all that healthy. Sirius kept fairly still when it approached him and crouched down to his level. It gave him a feral grin which he supposed should have been intimidating, but he was too curious for it to affect him.

The newcomer spoke to him in guttural tones, in a language that completely baffled him. _Is he saying anything at all? _It seemed like gibberish to Sirius, and he watched in confused fascination as the grey creature continued to rumble and growl at him for the next few minutes. During this time, Sirius took his time to examine his visitor a bit more.

After a few moments, Sirius decided that it was probably male, if he went by how bulky it had appeared while walking in. It was hard to pick out particular details in the gloom, but Sirius could have sworn that it had either tusks or fangs jutting out of its mouth as it spoke. It had coarse features with deep set eyes that seemed to be both calculating and inquisitive at the same time.

It was at this point that Sirius noted the silence that had fallen upon the room once again. The stranger stared at him expectantly, as if Sirius understood what had been said, leaving him at a complete loss as of how to respond. Another minute went by and the creature appeared to grasp the problem. It held up a hand, stood and swept across the cell. It called out into the darkness for a few seconds before turning around to face him again. Sirius wondered idly if the stranger thought he was somehow bluffing, and was grabbing backup to force him to speak. He cringed inwardly at the thought. He'd prefer to imagine the possibility of a nearby interpreter over likely torture…

The sound of a second set of footsteps echoed across the corridor beyond, and the door opened again to admit a much smaller figure into the room. The pair swiftly crossed the cell in quick strides and stood towering over him. Sirius glanced upwards and nearly gasped in surprise. The second stranger was much closer to his height and, when it came into the light, Sirius instinctively reached into his sleeve for his wand. It was an animated corpse, something that he vaguely remembered Astara talking about, but he'd initially thought she was joking. It appeared that she was right.

Inferi exist in Azeroth.

Sirius knew that they were referred to by another name here, but they were initially the same thing. The walking dead were usually something out of nightmare, even in the wizarding world, but it hadn't stopped dark wizards from attempting it. He figured that Voldemort wouldn't refrain from using such dark magic, and it made him wonder who would be so desperate in this world to do something like this to the peacefully deceased. He shuddered at the thought.

The most disconcerting aspect of this inferi was its unnaturally glowing gold eye sockets that somehow focused on him. Its ashen face stared at him for a moment and then nodded to its companion; the larger one rumbled again, the inferi answering in kind. This went on for a couple of minutes and Sirius stared at them in morbid fascination. _How can it talk? _ He'd never heard anything about the dead talking before, and was unable to tear his gaze away from the inferi as its skeletal jaw mimicked the other's movements in reply.

"Human," a soft, raspy voice called out. Sirius jumped in shock, he hadn't expected it to fathom English, but was partially glad it did. He nodded to it warily in understanding, eyes wide.

"Human," it repeated, "you are now in Horde territory."

Sirius blinked. _This is bad,_ he thought to himself. _Wasn't that the name of that enemy force Astara was talking about earlier?_ The inferi was still talking, though, and he knew that it would be costly if he failed to pay attention.

"While you are here, you are expected to obey any commands the guards give you. Speak only when you are spoken to and keep quiet when you are in your cell." Sirius nodded and it continued. "You will be given food morning and night and required to do labor outside during daylight hours." It stared at him pointedly. "Attempts to escape are futile. Guards are stationed throughout the area and have been ordered to shoot any trespassers – leaving _or_ entering – so your chances of rescue are also unlikely."

Sirius frowned, _they're far shrewder than I gave them credit for, _he mused quietly. _I hope this doesn't last for long…_

"Consider yourself lucky, human," it concluded softly. "Our leader usually doesn't give the likes of you much of a chance. These hard times have diverted his attention away from single interlopers into our territory. Most often spies like you are killed on the spot, if not forced to give information. Don't worry; your time will come soon."

The rumbling continued as Sirius mulled over the inferi's words. He swallowed audibly at the thought of the methods that the Horde could have for situations such as these. Hopefully it wouldn't get to that point, and he'd be safely in friendly territory again. The inferi glanced between Sirius and its larger companion.

"You will be woken at dawn tomorrow to begin your work. After that, there will be an interrogation." It looked him dead in the eye. "Be prepared, human; your knowledge _will_ be ours."

With that thinly veiled threat left hanging in the air, his non-human captors stood up and exited the cell. As the door squeaked and clicked shut, and their footsteps receded into the darkness, Sirius allowed himself to slump against the wall wearily. Things weren't looking so good anymore, and he fervently hoped for a chance to end it soon.

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><p><strong> ….<strong>

True to their word, a guard had opened the door to his cell later that night with a small tray. It didn't have much, only a loaf of bread and a glass of water, but it was much more than he'd been accustomed to in Azkaban. He left the empty tray near the front bars, ready for the next guard to collect whenever they decided to pass by his cell again. It was still quiet in the room, but the unnerving quality of it had disappeared as his fellow prisoners shuffled their way along somewhere further down the corridor. Putting everything in perspective, his current situation wasn't as bad as he'd originally dreaded it to be. If anything, it was an upgrade to what he had been used to for years.

Sirius later found a pile of straw over in the corner furthest from the door. He hadn't noticed it earlier in his initial once over of his surroundings, and was thankful for one more small comfort that his situation had afforded him. Ignoring the nagging questions of how long it had been there for and what could be living in it, Sirius sat back on it while leaning against the wall. There wasn't much else to do in the time between whenever it was and sunrise, so he attempted to catch some semblance of sleep before the morning guard came in to collect him for whatever work they had planned for him to do.

_Maybe it won't be so bad, _Sirius mused quietly to himself. _It could be something fairly simple; although I won't find out until I get there._

It was much harder to sleep than he'd hoped. He constantly found himself thinking back to all of the things he'd been through during the past couple of months, along with the ordeals he'd put up with for two years. After being in a cell for so long, Sirius had been grateful to be out in the open again, even if that meant avoiding glances and ducking down behind various types of greenery – even hiding in plain sight as Snuffles was a good thing at the beginning. It hadn't been long before the novelty of it all faded away, and the real reason for his escape had resurfaced. It wasn't that he had forgotten, but it was pushed aside in the euphoria of sudden freedom.

In the wake of everything that had occurred at Hogwarts, it all soured. Dumbledore took great pains to keep him out of prison, but the means to such an end hadn't been much different. He was trapped in his own home, a place that he'd been loath to ever return to, and with no real chance to leave. It was suffocating. Sirius wasn't the type to sit still for very long; he was a man of action, always had been, even before tragedy had struck his small circle of friends fifteen years ago.

Then he'd suddenly found himself in a strange place, with no way of return – that he knew of, anyway. Sirius was certain he needed to find out how, as the one main thought that haunted him most was still focused on Harry. He sighed, maybe he'd get there in time and maybe he wouldn't. Sirius was just as keen to try; if he didn't, who knew what would happen? He didn't want to imagine the effects of him failing his godson like that, but it was hard to keep the thought away once it surfaced.

Sirius shook his head, shifting slightly. _I wonder how everyone else is doing back at Lor'danel? Hope they're not too concerned._

He figured that his mentor, Taryel, would be fairly disappointed in him for not turning up the next morning. It seemed that the elf really looked forward to Sirius walking over to his anvil each day to help out. Maybe the blacksmith will think he just up and left the town, he wasn't entirely sure about that one…

Maura and Selena would probably ask around for him if they couldn't find him themselves. Sirius knew that the pair could be fairly persistent when they set their minds on something. He'd give them a day or two, at most, before they would start to get worried. _I'll miss out on talking to them tomorrow morning outside the inn; they always hang around there._

Sirius vaguely wondered how Astara would react if enough time passed by for him to miss sending off her regular letter. Would she be angry? Disappointed? He wasn't sure, but he hoped that the next time they met that she wouldn't hold it against him.

_I should send her a _very _long letter after this._

_Come to think of it, why do I only have female friends here in Azeroth? _He'd never considered it before, but thinking back, apart from Taryel and his blacksmithing lessons, Sirius hadn't really connected with any of the male residents of the world so far. He snorted, amused at the revelation. _I wonder how Remus would react if I told him about this. _Would _I tell him, though? _Sirius shook his head again. _Probably not; he'd never let me hear the end of it. _He shrugged; _maybe I should try to talk to more guys this time around…_

Sirius closed his eyes for a moment; he figured that maybe he should approach _that _particular problem later, when he wasn't so concerned with his more immediate situation. It wasn't long before Sirius found himself surrendering into sleep once again.

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><p><strong> …<strong>

Sirius felt as if no time had passed at all since he'd dozed off when the guard had thrown the door to his cell open. A water skin and some bread were thrust into his hands as he was dragged out of his cell and into the dark corridor beyond. It wasn't fairly well lit; the most he could make out was how narrow the passageway was, apart from the dimly burning braziers hung over the line of cells he walked by. It was a fairly rude awakening, in hindsight. The guard barely gave him time to register what was going on before grabbing him roughly by the arm and yanking Sirius along behind him.

The few minutes it took to walk the length of the corridor seemed to stretch into hours; the darkness and dim lighting messed with his perception of space and time. He was sure that the distance they had travelled was much shorter than it seemed, and would have only been obvious if there had been actual lights used in the building. Sirius figured that it was some sort of tactic they used on their prisoners, to ensure that they were all ignorant of their surroundings. In all fairness, it was pretty sound; it gave his captors that edge that Sirius wished they never had. _If I had my wand, I'd be out of here by now. _Sirius shrugged. _I guess that's the point, although I'm sure that they'd be puzzled as to how _I _escaped…_

He shook his head to dispel the thought. There really wasn't much time to be considering what ifs; he had more pressing issues to look into, such as where he was being taken, and what they'd require of him. Further ideas would have to come later.

Sirius squinted as he was pulled around a corner. The brightness of the morning was almost blinding to his now unaccustomed eyes. He vaguely wondered, yet again, how long he had been in his cell – but he had no real way of knowing. He was certain that his captors wouldn't tell him anyway. Dawn was about midway through its natural spectacle, the sun just beginning to peek its way over the horizon. If he hadn't been so preoccupied with the way he was being handled, Sirius would have certainly stopped to admire it. He wasn't given the time, however, as he was shoved onto the back of a cart alongside two guards and three human prisoners. They all looked much worse for wear than he was, although without the highly gaunt and haunted appearance that Sirius was sure was etched into his own features.

The group glanced over at him briefly before setting their gaze, as one, back to the ground. It was strange to see his travelling companions act so docile. Sirius was used to the displays of confidence – and even arrogance – of his magical peers, but then he had to remind himself of where he was. This wasn't his homeland, and these men wouldn't understand the various horrors that Sirius had lived through for twelve years of his life. He was sure that they probably had it much easier than he did, considering the circumstances.

As he settled himself against the side of the cart, it began to move slowly along a slight dirt path that wound its way through the forest. He had a feeling that he wasn't in Darkshore anymore; the trees and foliage around him were much greener and the colors more vibrant. It wasn't as striking as it was in Teldrassil, with the tall canopy giving it a mysterious darkness to contrast with the bright forest. This place certainly had its own peaceful beauty, however. It appeared to be a toned down version of the elven island, with more spaces for the light of the sun to shine and filter through.

The cart made its way along at a reasonable pace. There were several guards who walked alongside Sirius and his fellow prisoners, to take immediate action if one of them tried something, he was sure. It wasn't as if he'd try anything stupid; with so many guards, and no way to truly defend himself – it'd be suicide. Even if he somehow managed to escape, where would he go? He didn't know his way around, and would most likely have a difficult enough time trying to retrace his way back to the prison where he was sure his belongings were held. He'd certainly need all of it back, too; how would he be able to manage without his wand, especially if he was able to return home?

Sirius was startled out of his ruminating when the cart came to an abrupt stop at a large clearing framed and dotted by tree stumps and piles of logs that were strewn throughout the area. Shading his eyes from the sun, he squinted ahead and spotted a few large machines that lined one side of the clearing. A number of people milled about in the center, apparently waiting for something. Guards wandered the perimeter, proving the inferi right on that count. He followed the three other prisoners off of the cart and joined the larger group.

There wasn't really much else to do but wait for some kind of instruction; he had no real clue what was expected from him. Sirius was no expert on muggle life, and was positive that this was something connected to it in some way. There were a few people that wandered off to various parts of the clearing; they carried some kind of axe around, so he figured that there was no way that magic would be involved. Sirius sighed. _I guess I get to learn something new about muggles again, _he thought to himself resignedly.

Someone tapped him lightly on the shoulder, forcing him to turn around. An elf stood beside him, looking at him with a mixture of pity and something else he couldn't place. The elf gestured behind him and nodded, gauging Sirius' reaction.

"You're new, aren't you?" It was more of a statement than a question, but Sirius nodded back anyway.

"What's going on?" He asked him.

"You don't know?" The elf was incredulous, his brow disappearing into his hairline. "We're supposed to assist the main labor force collect timber for their war effort," he continued. "Don't even think of sabotaging it; they crack down on offenders fairly hard here."

Sirius stared. "I guess I'll have to be careful, then"

"Yes, you will," came the reply.

"So, where are we, anyway?" Sirius asked carefully. "I don't recognize this clearing."

The elf looked at him pointedly. "You're lucky, then," he murmured. "This place has been fought over for the past few years, at least." He gestured behind him widely, the frown in his brow marring the sudden forced grin on his face. "Welcome to Warsong Lumber Camp."

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><p><strong>…<strong>

_So, that's this one for now. Thanks again for being so patient for me._

_Isangtao, thanks so much for the compliment! You're right about the mail system; I wrote it this way to match with the game mechanic, and to fit in with why there are so many mailboxes in various out-of-the-way places in Azeroth. I'm sure that it doesn't fit in exactly with the lore, but it's still mainly a game, so I'm trying to keep that part in the storyline. That doesn't mean that the life-death barrier will be treated the same, though…_

_Plums, you're right that Sirius could use his wizarding magic to earn more money, but it would cause suspicion if a newcomer like him has access to power that the more skilled veterans of Azeroth are unable to use. That doesn't mean he can't use them, though, but it will depend highly on the situation that demands it. Sirius is able to apparate in Azeroth, among various other things. He can't do everything like was able to back in Britain, but he'll be able to learn some new tricks in exchange for that. _

_I'm already planning the next one, and I hope that time doesn't escape me too quickly again._

_Until next time, Peace out!_

_Shadowcaster01_


	13. A typical day in captivity

_Hey guys!_

_I know it's been over a month… There have been a lot of things going on for me outside of the fictionverse – fairly hectic, really. After ending my last chapter on such an unexpected note, it took me a bit of time, but I finally have it. _

_Thanks to everyone who alerted or added this to favorites, as well as those who are just following; your support is highly appreciated. A big thank you also goes to Sharnorasian Empire, Isangtao, Aetheogh, and Boyzilla for their reviews. _

_The following extract is from the final three pages of OOTP. I don't know how long it will be before I include another, or if I will at all, later on – but there's your dose of Potterverse for now._

_I'm also happy to announce that I've hit the 100 page mark with this story! Whether you guys cared or not for that brief comment, I decided to add it anyway…_

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><p><strong> …..<strong>

A typical day in captivity

"**Well," said Lupin with a slight smile, "we thought we might have a little chat with your aunt and uncle before letting them take you home."**

"**I dunno if that's a good idea," said Harry at once.**

"**Oh, I think it is," growled Moody, who had limped a little closer. "That'll be them, will it, Potter?"**

**He pointed with his thumb over his shoulder; his magical eye was evidently peering through the back of his head and his bowler hat. Harry leaned an inch or so to the left to see where Mad-Eye was pointing and there, sure enough, were the three Dursleys, who looked positively appalled to see Harry's reception committee.**

"**Ah, Harry!" said Mr. Weasley, turning from Hermione's parents, who he had just greeted enthusiastically, and who were now taking it in turns to hug Hermione. "Well – shall we do it, then?"**

"**Yeah, I reckon so, Arthur," said Moody.**

**He and Mr. Weasley took the lead across the station towards the Dursleys, who were apparently rooted to the floor. Hermione disengaged herself gently from her mother to join the group.**

"**Good afternoon," said Mr. Weasley pleasantly to Uncle Vernon as he came to a halt right in front of him. "You might remember me, my name's Arthur Weasley."**

**As Mr. Weasley had single handedly demolished most of the Dursleys' living room two years previously, Harry would have been very surprised if Uncle Vernon had forgotten him. Sure enough, Uncle Vernon turned a deeper shade of puce and glared at Mr. Weasley, but chose not to say anything, partly, perhaps, because the Dursleys were outnumbered two to one. Aunt Petunia looked both frightened and embarrassed; she kept glancing around, as if terrified somebody she knew would see her in such company. Dudley, meanwhile, seemed to be trying to look small and insignificant, a feat at which he was failing extravagantly.**

"**We thought we'd just have a few words with you about Harry," said Mr. Weasley, still smiling.**

"**Yeah," growled Moody. "About how he's been treated when he's at your place."**

**Uncle Vernon's mustache seemed to bristle with indignation. Possibly because the bowler hat gave him the entirely mistaken impression that he was dealing with a kindred spirit, he addressed himself to Moody.**

"**I am not aware that it is any of your business what goes on in my house –"**

"**I expect what you're not aware of would fill several books, Dursley," growled Moody.**

"**Anyway, that's not the point," interjected Tonks, whose pink hair seemed to offend Aunt Petunia more than the rest put together, for she closed her eyes rather than look at her. "The point is, if we find that you've been horrible to Harry –"**

"–**And make no mistake, we'll hear about it," added Lupin pleasantly.**

"**Yes," said Mr. Weasley, "even if you won't let Harry use the fellytone –"**

"_**Telephone,**_**" whispered Hermione.**

"–**Yeah, if we get any hint that Potter's been mistreated in any way, you'll have us to answer to," said Moody.**

**Uncle Vernon swelled ominously. His sense of outrage seemed to outweigh even his fear of a bunch of oddballs.**

"**Are you threatening me, sir?" he said, so loudly that passersby actually turned to stare.**

"**Yeas, I am," said Mad-Eye, who seemed rather pleased that Uncle Vernon had grasped this fact so quickly.**

"**And do I look like the kind of man who can be intimidated?" barked Uncle Vernon.**

"**Well…" said Moody, pushing back his bowler hat to reveal his sinisterly revolving magical eye. Uncle Vernon leapt backwards in horror and collided painfully with a luggage trolley. "Yes, I'd have to say you do, Dursley."**

**He turned from Uncle Vernon to survey Harry.**

"**So, Potter… give us a shout if you need us. If we don't hear from you for three days in a row, we'll send someone along…"**

**Aunt Petunia whimpered piteously. It could not have been plainer that she was thinking of what the neighbors would say if they caught sight of these people marching up the garden path.**

"**Bye then, Potter," said Moody, grasping Harry's shoulder for a moment with a gnarled hand.**

"**Take care, Harry," said Lupin quietly. "Keep in touch."**

"**Harry, we'll have you away from there as soon as we can," Mrs. Weasley whispered, hugging him again.**

"**We'll see you soon, mate," said Ron anxiously, shaking Harry's hand.**

"**Really soon Harry," said Hermione earnestly. "We promise."**

**Harry nodded. He somehow could not find words to tell them what it meant to him, to see them all ranged there, on his side. Instead, he smiled, raised a hand in farewell, turned around and led the way out of the station towards the sunlit street, with Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia and Dudley hurrying along in his wake.**

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><p><strong> …<strong>

_Thunk! _The age worn axe bit carelessly into the ancient wood. Sirius swung it back for another round, ignoring the hustle and bustle around him as his inmates continued with their own tasks that morning.

It had taken a bit of time, but eventually Sirius was able to keep pace with the usual flow of things at the labor camp. It had only been a week, but each day began just the same – with a rather rude awakening, followed by a quiet ride to the clearing after being roughly shoved into the back of the transportation cart.

The axe, resting blade down into the log, was stubbornly resisting Sirius' current attempts to free it. _Bloody stupid thing, _he hissed under his breath. _A bloody pain in the arse, if you ask me._ He continued his struggle to loosen the blade, half throwing himself backwards while yanking at the old tool - but it still refused to budge. A few minutes passed before the axe suddenly slid out of the wood as if it were a knife through butter. He grumbled at it in annoyance as he staggered backwards.

Sirius found that working the muggle way was far more difficult than it had seemed when the subject was brought up at school. It took much time and effort to just hack through a particularly stubborn old log with the partially blunt axes and saws that were afforded him; this didn't include the trek to the other side of camp while dragging the thrice-damned thing over to the stock pile for further refining. He found the whole notion quite frustrating, and after an entire day of sawing and then lugging heavy wood around – well, he had to hand it to those muggles; they were a lot stronger than they would seem…

_Thunk… swish; thunk! Swish- _

"Oi," came a thickly accented shout from somewhere behind him. "Watch where you're aiming that thing, would you? I'd rather not lose me head with you flailin' about like a wild thing!"

Sirius, caught in mid swing, whirled around unsteadily, drawing the axe back into the ground and stammering a quick apology to the now irate dwarf who continued to give him a piece of his mind.

"Just make sure you mind yourself next time," the dwarf shouted back, still walking. "Unless you plan for an Orc to get caught, don't swing so wide!"

Sirius nodded, "I'll try."

The dwarf appeared to be mollified by his answer, and, after a moment, he scurried off with his small bundle of wood for refining. Sirius returned his attention to the half cut log in front of him; it was the last one before he'd need to drag his own bundle over to the collection pile…

The whole situation he found himself in was fairly laughable, almost. No wizard should ever let someone get a hold of their wand, and Sirius had his confiscated by non-human muggles. The oddness of those three words never ceased to baffle him. When he was able to slump against his cell wall at the end of the day, exhausted and sore from overworking, Sirius would question himself repeatedly about how he could have possibly been placed in such troubling circumstances. Unfortunately for him, no answer made itself clear.

Sirius picked up the axe again off the ground, carefully brushing the dirt from the side of the blade. Although it was dull, even he knew that a slight nick from it could give him plenty of trouble later on. Sirius wasn't particularly sure if there was any treatment for an infected wound, and he'd rather not have to find out the hard way. Amongst other things, his arms were already sore, yet there was still at least two or three hours left before he would be permitted to rest. A light breeze whistled through the trees as he swung the axe back again, wincing as a few twinges raced through his shoulders.

It had been difficult to get used to, as he wasn't accustomed to do so much in one day. The most he had to do to achieve anything before was completed with a simple flick of his wand and it would be done. The people in Azeroth didn't appear to have that luxury; even though they did have access to magic, no one that Sirius encountered had used it to finish menial tasks. In a way, it was quite refreshing – the common folk had no apparent need to flaunt their power in front of others. On the other hand, like now, it was a nuisance.

Sirius couldn't remember a time that he had ever needed to do any serious physical work for himself. During his childhood, his family relied on the house elves and magic – with the notion that they were above such things. If a person didn't have magic, they apparently weren't worth talking to, let alone associating with. All in all, the thought was quite sad, really. In the rest of the wizarding world, the pattern didn't really change too much. At school, they had appointed staff and a horde of house elves on top of the usual spells. They were all so used to magical solutions to every problem, and it was now obvious to Sirius that that particular way of life was fairly flawed. It was of no surprise that wizards couldn't blend in with the muggle world; how could they when they were overly obsessed with using their magic at every possible opportunity, as if they all had something to prove?

Sirius shook his head, exasperated. With his mind running at a hundred miles an hour, he was surprised to find that the log he was working on had almost been chopped through. _When did I do that? _He wondered, frowning. He didn't remember swinging the axe down…

It was difficult to focus at that moment, as he found himself to be subject to a few sideways glances; it wasn't as if they were trying to hide it, either. From what he could deduce during the daylight hours, Sirius was the only "civilian" prisoner in the entire camp. Apparently this revelation had shocked the group nearby who had overheard his answer to that particular question. As a result, the news had somehow spread, and it irked Sirius that there were those who thought it would be a brilliant idea to bombard him with questions – what had he been doing when the Horde had captured him? Some didn't believe his answer. Sirius found himself to be a target for outright staring as well, although it wasn't as bad as it could have been back in the wizarding world.

_One more swing should do it, _he mused quietly, axe raised above his head. _There! _ The blade cracked through to the ground and wedged itself into the soil. Sirius left it where it was; the blade was out of the path, so he was sure that no one would trip over it within the next few minutes or so. Apart from that, he didn't want to waste any more energy trying to pull it out. Sirius turned to the small stack of wood off to the side of his work area and frowned. The pile wasn't as large as the ones he'd seen the other prisoners carrying around. He shrugged; it was the best he could do, considering the circumstances.

Awkwardly, Sirius gathered up his bundle of logs, changing his grip several times to ensure he wouldn't drop them. He grimaced as he heard faint sniggering from somewhere off to his right. _Do I really look that pathetic? _He asked himself quietly. Ignoring the slight distraction, Sirius made his way over to the other side of the lumber yard, constantly wary of the odd tool or half-finished log strewn about on the ground. He wouldn't want to trip and fall flat on his face, now would he? He ducked under an outstretched mechanical arm of one of the large machines, taking a brief moment to gawk at its bulky frame before continuing onward.

A few moments later, Sirius dumped the logs onto the growing stack of wood at the side of the camp. Only a short while ago, its height wasn't all too imposing, reaching as far his shoulders; now, however, it practically dwarfed him. Sirius backed away from it suddenly when the top of the pile began to sway.

"Just don't fall on me," he murmured to himself, eyeing it warily. He frowned at the sound of muffled laughter, this time to his left. _Ignore them. _Sirius turned and walked away, surprised that for once, he actually stayed out of a confrontation – on purpose…

**…**

Sirius sighed as the guard grasped him roughly by the arm and dragged him onto the cart. Was it so difficult for them to let him do it himself? Apparently so, since the other prisoners were being dealt the same treatment. He sat down at the edge and waited for the rest of his group to board.

It had been an overly long day, again, and he was just about ready to drop. Sirius knew that if he was subjected to this any longer, he was certain to have difficulty waking up the following morning. The hard labor he was forced to participate in was far more than he'd ever been exposed to in his life. At the end of each day his hands trembled something fierce, his knees twitched and his head pounded worse than a bad hangover. Considering the circumstances regarding his long term confinement on top of everything else, it was of little wonder that it affected him so much. It was more than he could take.

_I should have stayed at the inn. _

It wasn't the first time the words had surfaced in his mind. Sirius only wished that his captors had been negligent in their search through his personal effects, at least then he would've already been out of this mess. His wand was the only thing keeping him from trying to escape; without it, Sirius was almost completely defenseless. Sure, most of his aggressive spells were useless in Azeroth, but there were other, simpler ones that would be just as helpful. He wasn't even sure of all his limitations just yet…

Sirius started when the cart jerked into motion, throwing him forwards slightly as it gained momentum. The squeaking axles grated at his ears, and his head throbbed painfully; he turned to the side and focused on the trees around him – anything to ignore the obnoxious sound.

The cart ride was brief and quiet; none of his temporary travel companions uttered a word during the trip. It seemed as if only moments passed before Sirius caught sight of the cluster of stone huts that made up the Horde's base. Same as it had been for the past few days, the guards surged forward to each grab a prisoner by the arm and drag them back into the holding cells for the night. Rather than the usual twists and turns in the dark, however, Sirius was puzzled when he was brought into a brightly lit room in a small area of the building. He squinted slightly.

His guard drew him over to a small chair situated at the back of the room, against the wall. After being seated, the guard motioned for him to stay before leaving the room. The door closed behind them and there was the audible _click_ that indicated Sirius had been locked inside. With nothing better to do, the wizard glanced around.

It was almost completely bare, with only a couple of chairs and a short wooden table. Papers were scattered over a desk that sat in the far corner, right up against the wall. Several lamps hung limply from the low ceiling, and a large lantern hung from a hook by the door. The walls were plain, with no windows to show the world outside the dismal scene.

Sirius was left alone for several minutes, and with each one that passed him by, he grew more concerned with the possible events that could happen when the door opened again. The dead interpreter from his first few conscious hours in the building had promised him some sort of interrogation, although that hadn't been acted upon just yet. Perhaps the guards had decided that now was the time? Unfortunately, Sirius would be discovering the answer to that particular question fairly soon, although he'd rather not. Would they torture him for information, or threaten him somehow?

He shook his head, banishing the morbid thoughts from his mind. Moments after he did so, the door swung inward to admit several people into the room. There were about five of them, two guards and the pair that talked to him after he'd woken up the first day; the inferi - no, _undead_, according to the other prisoners – stared at him impassively, while its companion – who apparently was an orc – seemed to stand to attention to let the final person inside. Perhaps he was their commanding officer, or even the prison warden. Whoever it was, they were of slight build, and when they turned to face him, Sirius realized that the appeared nearly human. The pointed ears made him gasp in surprise. _Weren't elves supposed to be on my side? _

The stranger nodded to the guards, who snapped a sharp salute and left to guard the door. Sirius watched warily as the remaining three approached him, seemingly unconcerned about what could happen. They each pulled out a chair and sat themselves across from him. At first there was silence, but that was soon filled up by the rumbling that had confused him so much a week before.

"This is Rai Tassier, warden of this prison building. She will oversee the discussion we will be having tonight," the inferi began, motioning to the elf that sat to its left. The elf nodded in acknowledgement to the introduction before signaling it to continue. "You have been here for the past week to settle into prison life, and we left you alone while you did so."

The undead paused, glancing over to its companion. They rumbled to each other for a moment before glancing at their superior for confirmation. She waved them off dismissively and leaned back in her chair, arms folded.

"Who are you, human?" It asked him abruptly. "What is your purpose here?" Sirius blinked in surprise as the undead stared at him. "Well, answer!" It rasped.

"I have no ill intentions towards any of you, if that's what you are asking," Sirius replied, casting a glance over at the warden as he did. "I was just wandering off the beaten path in Darkshore, exploring the landscape. When I woke up, I was here."

"Then why did you approach our base so callously?"

"I didn't know that it was there. I'd only been in the Alliance harbor for the past couple of weeks, blacksmithing." _May as well answer their questions… _They couldn't fault him for speaking the truth, could they?

The undead somehow narrowed its eye sockets at him and appeared to be about to make a retort when the elf interjected. She spoke harshly to it in a completely different tongue than the rumbling that had been going on before. It had a strange hissing sound to it that sent chills down his spine. _Is that…. Parseltongue?_ The very thought of it was disturbing, to say the least. The undead nodded and went silent for a moment, seemingly chastised.

"Where were you previously?" The voice was soft and quiet, and took him completely by surprise. The elf was staring at him intently, her unusual green eyes boring into his own.

"Why are you so eager to know?"

"Just answer the question, human," she growled.

"Teldrassil."

"Where you were given orders to spy on us?"

"No!" Sirius shouted. "Of course not!" He glared at them, "I had just finished telling you that I had no idea that you people were there; how would I have been able to spy on someone I didn't even know about?"

The elf stood. "Obviously we are getting nowhere with this," she muttered. "You will be here again within the next few days. Be sure to give us real answers then, otherwise we will force you to."

Sirius frowned. _What was she going on about? _

"Those _were_ real answers," he mumbled, rolling his eyes.

"The guards will take you to your cell; Mastok, Vera, come with me." She motioned for the orc and its undead companion to follow her, and the three of them slipped through the doorway and out of sight.

The pair that had been guarding the entrance to the room came in and grabbed him roughly, pulling him out of the chair and to his feet. They dragged him out into the dark corridor, and as Sirius' eyes struggled to adjust to the abrupt change in lighting, he was shoved into the next available cell. The bars slammed shut behind him and the lock clicked into place.

He was met by silence; not the usual kind that had greeted him for the past week. When he refocused on his surroundings, Sirius was confused when he discovered that he wasn't the only prisoner in his cell. There were about five others in there with him, each equally as stunned as he was. Since it seemed that no one had any intention of speaking, Sirius slumped down on the floor near the bars, wary of what the others were capable of. After several long minutes, he had essentially given up on having any sort of conversation with his cell mates – not that he was complaining…

It had been one of the strangest interrogations he'd ever been through, and he had the feeling that they'd gone easy on him for some odd reason. He was used to threats and pain, and he'd been expecting that; it baffled him that they'd let him leave so quickly. _They're probably going to make up for it next time, _he thought wryly, frowning.

"Who are you?"

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><p><strong>…..<strong>

_So, there it is. Hope you enjoyed reading it; it took a while to make it sound right. _

_I used some license to try and illustrate the differences between the wizarding world and Azeroth in terms of their adaptation to physical labor. Being from a completely magical community, and possibly having little to no exposure to the muggle world, Sirius wouldn't have had to do much in that regard. The only sport mentioned in the books was Quidditch, although even that isn't very demanding on the body. It seems like a glorified version of catch and cage batting on brooms…_

_On another note, I used some more NPCs for the interrogation scene. Vera Nightshade and Mastok Wrilehiss can be found in Splintertree Post in Ashenvale. Rai is based off of a pair from Silvermoon city; Lyria Skystrider and Melaya Tassier. _

_SE, the reason why he didn't apparate away in the last chapter was because they had taken him completely by surprise. Not only that, but they had confiscated his wand. I'm sure that in canon, if a person needs to apparate somewhere, they'd need to have their wand on hand to perform the feat. The only exception to the wand rule would have to be animagus transformations, since the animal can't wave it to change back – which brings me to my second point…_

_Boyzilla and Aetheogh, you guys bring up a valid point. Technically he could change and run for it, but he really wants his wand back, so he can't. I already have the next few scenes playing out in my head; I hope that you like them when I post it._

_Isangtao, that's a very interesting suggestion. I'll keep it in mind and see how it could play into the story; I'd almost forgotten that she lived there. I'll make no guarantees, though…_

_Thanks for reading and until next time,_

_Peace out!_

_Shadowcaster01_


	14. Cellmates

_Hey guys,_

_Sorry it's been so long since I last updated, but I was finally able to put this chapter together for you._

_It's been rather difficult to follow up on my last chapter; things have been hectic in real life. Hopefully after this, my writer's block will also go away. It seems that I've developed a habit of planning out the main idea for the next five or so chapters, but with no way to connect them to what I left off on this site. Rather annoying, right? After this, I hope things will pick up pace and you guys won't have to wait for so long to see the next part._

_Thanks to everyone for following, adding to favorites and also to Wulffe, GRX3m0m, Byakugan 789, Gavoon, ZylerLee and Guests for the reviews. It's all greatly appreciated._

_Here's part 14._

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**Cellmates**

The cell fell into a more uncomfortable silence after the question was asked. Sirius glanced around, hoping to find whoever it was that had spoken. It didn't take him too long, the other prisoners turned to stare in their direction as well. It was difficult for him to tell what they looked like at that moment, since his eyes were still struggling to adjust to the sudden light change less than ten minutes beforehand.

From what he could tell from the dimly illuminated room was that it was a young man, short and scrawny, who couldn't have been much older than Harry. It was depressing to think that this Horde even deigned it necessary to capture teenagers amongst their regular, older prisoners. He winced, wondering how he'd have been able to handle such a revelation if the boy had been Harry instead. If anything, Sirius was sure that he'd have tried to break the two of them out by now. The only thing stopping him at the moment was the fact that he wasn't sure what these people would do. Were they the type to rat each other out if they tried anything, or would they actually be alright to turn it all into a team effort?

The teenager stared at Sirius expectantly. He stared back.

"Who's asking?" Sirius called back calmly.

The boy's eyes narrowed at him in response. Sirius doubted that the kid would say anything, and he wondered if this discussion would ever get anywhere because of it. He sighed in exasperation. It seemed as though none of the other prisoners wanted to say anything to him either, and he wasn't about to force them to do so. Sirius would just have to deal with the silence for a while longer, although to be honest, it was getting rather tiring. He didn't want to think about all of the times he had been forced to sit in absolute silence during his long incarceration, not to mention the lengthy stretches of boredom. It was enough to drive anyone up the wall, and Sirius was lucky that he had even the slightest semblance of lucidity left in him after his experiences. He hated to think that the boy in front of him could go through a similar situation, though. The kid was far too young for that, just like Harry was.

"I asked you first," came the reply. Although the answer had taken a while, the boy seemed a little too smug; sitting there with his arms folded defiantly, a challenging glint in his eye. It was as though this kid was itching for a fight. Sirius would refuse, of course. Who was he to do such a thing to someone his age? That would be as bad as trying to take on his godson Harry or his friends, and he would never do something like that to them. Of course, he had to disqualify the first time he'd seen Harry since he was little; that one didn't count, and neither had known the full situation yet…

"That may be, but how am I to know that I can trust you?" Sirius asked, raising an eyebrow and leaning back against the cell bars.

"I could ask the same of you."

The kid was infuriating and he knew it. Of course, even though they both raised a very valid point, Sirius wasn't sure he wanted to butt heads with a child who had an obvious attitude problem. He really didn't have time to deal with that; there were much more important things for him to consider at the moment, like how he was going to be able to escape from his current situation, amongst other things. Unfortunately for Sirius, though, he was left with little choice in this matter.

_I can't believe I'm thinking this, but I kind of understand my parents now; I was such a brat…_

Sirius shook his head. It was not the appropriate time to be dwelling on his own childhood, especially when he had a group of people staring at him like they were.

"Look, kid," he began, frowning. "I really don't have time to sit here and listen to you smart-mouth at me all night long. You tell me your name and I'll tell you mine; then we can get on with our lives. All right?"

The kid just sat there and stared at him. Sirius sighed in frustration at the audacity of the boy's behavior. Was it really that hard for him to be polite, or was it a normal thing for the youth here to back-talk like this? Sirius had a feeling he didn't want to know. The other adults in the cell gave him sympathetic looks, which gave Sirius the feeling that he wasn't the only one who had to put up with this so far. It made him wonder why none of them deemed it necessary to chime in and help him out. Maybe they were testing him?

Sirius' eyes narrowed, but the boy's expression didn't change. Talking to these people was almost like pulling teeth. He huffed to himself quietly and stared up at the ceiling. Hopefully that kid would take the hint and tone down his attitude. It was really giving him a headache. Sirius was suddenly glad he'd never had children, there was that possibility that one of his own would have been worse than this. He winced internally at the sudden image. _Merlin_, he'd have gone crazy years ago…

The kid sighed after a few more moments of silence. Sirius glanced over at the boy from the corner of his eye; he was shuffling around, nervously fidgeting with his hands. Good, the silent tactic was working. A few more minutes and hopefully they'd be getting somewhere. This always used to drive him crazy when Remus would pull it on him when they were in school; not that he'd ever openly admit it to anyone, especially not Remus. Sirius was surprised to find that it actually worked on someone else.

The boy huffed in indignation, folding his arms and glaring at Sirius as if he'd just been insulted. Sirius had to stifle a grin at the juvenile behavior, this kid was practically pouting at the lack of attention he was getting. A quick glance around the room found the other prisoners were also trying to hide their amusement, although some were failing.

"_Fine_," Sirius heard him mutter almost angrily. He finally turned back to face the boy, who was currently scowling. Sirius just looked at him in response, and the boy's scowl deepened before mumbling something incoherent.

"What was that?" Sirius craned forward slightly in hopes to catch it.

"I said Liam," the kid repeated, glaring at the floor.

"And I'm Sirius," he replied, smiling slightly. "Now, was that so hard?"

Liam scowled again and refused to comment. Sirius glanced around the cell at the others in there with them. The Horde didn't seem to care where they put their prisoners as the cell had an interesting mix of men and women of varied race and age. Apart from the kid, Sirius was the only human in the room.

The two other men sat off in one corner, where they had watched Sirius' exchange with Liam in silence. The dwarf appeared to be having difficulty keeping a straight face, while the worgen openly grinned. Liam followed his gaze and glared at the pair, which only seemed to make things worse.

"Don't take it the wrong way, lad," the dwarf bellowed good-naturedly. "I'm not laughing at you; it just reminded me of something similar when I was young." He smiled at the youth, whose expression didn't waver. "It happens to everyone, right?" He looked to Sirius for confirmation.

"Certainly," he replied. "I'm sorry; I didn't catch your name?"

The dwarf blinked and slapped his hand over his face. "By the light, you're right." He leaned back against the wall behind him with a laugh. "I'm gettin' forgetful in this place." The dwarf met Sirius' gaze. "I'm called Cormack."

Sirius inclined his head politely. "Pleased to meet you."

Cormack tapped his companion's shoulder. The worgen stared at him for a moment, shrugged and then settled back against the wall.

"Well, you're no help, then," Cormack muttered indignantly, rolling his eyes. "Sorry 'bout him," he said. "He likes to mess with people sometimes, especially the Horde guards."

Liam frowned at Cormack. "Why does he get to keep silent when I had to talk? That's not fair!"

"Don't complain, boy," the dwarf shot back. "You're younger, and need to learn to respect your betters; didn't ye learn that at home?"

Liam folded his arms again, turning away to face the wall. Cormack harrumphed at him.

"If ye were my boy, ye wouldn't be actin' up like this, no sir! I-"

"Cormack," a voice called out exasperatedly from the opposite corner. "Will you shut up, please?"

"And what have I done this time, lass?" he asked, throwing his hands up indignantly.

"You always rant when Liam doesn't agree with you; is it any wonder he won't respect you?"

"He needs to work on his attitude!"

"So do you!"

Cormack harrumphed again, crossing his arms and glaring at the floor. He glanced back over at Sirius, who hadn't said a word. The dwarf gestured towards the other corner.

"Do ye see what I have to put up with?" He cried, earning a glare from the other two prisoners. "Light have mercy when I'm always up against two stubborn women about the boy."

"Cormack," the voice called a second time. "You are overreacting – again. It's not as bad as you make it out to be, so stop saying that."

"I'm not overreacting, Dalrae," Cormack growled. "This boy needs to learn some manners!"

"No," Dalrae retorted, tapping a hoof impatiently on the floor. "He has good instincts. A warrior must know when to keep his guard up, since it's better to be cautious."

Liam grinned at the draenei's compliment. She smiled back.

"You can't trust everyone, you know?" A much lighter voice piped up. "Anyone can be a potential enemy if they have reason to."

"Thanks, Katri," Liam said.

The gnome grinned at him. "Maybe I'd prove my point better if I had my daggers with me, wouldn't you agree Dalrae?"

Dalrae laughed, and soon after, Katri, Liam and the worgen all joined in while Cormack scowled. Sirius felt an answering smile threatening to spread across his face as well. It was a relief that the ice was broken; he had no desire to return to that agonizing moment of awkwardness when he'd been tossed into the cell.

"So – Sirius, was it?" Katri locked eyes with him, Sirius nodded. "How did you end up here, if you don't mind my asking?"

He stared at her. "I thought you would have heard all of the whispering by now."

She smiled. "Of course I have. I just want to hear your version, since that's the real story."

Sirius sighed, wondering how Maura and Selena were doing since he'd been gone. Astara would be unimpressed with him as well. _And Harry…_ He shook his head to clear it, glancing over at the others in the room before he answered the gnome's question.

"It's not much of a story," Sirius began, drawing his arms around his knees and she nodded for him to continue. "I was exploring Darkshore after staying in Lor'danel for a couple of weeks before I was suddenly hit from behind. When I woke up I was here, in my own cell, for who knew how long…"

"Is it true that you're a civilian?" Liam blurted out. Katri narrowed her eyes at him, making his widen. He mumbled a quiet apology and promptly shut up.

Sirius blinked at the question. After a moment he looked over at the kid, who had opted to stare at the floor again. Liam glanced up suddenly and started when he realized Sirius was watching him. Sirius sighed, dragging a hand down his face. He smiled.

"Yeah," he replied. "You could say that. I haven't decided what to do yet."

Cormack opened his mouth to speak, but Dalrae beat him to it.

"Please don't try to convert him," she warned. "Let him decide on his own."

"He's a priest," Katri explained, taking pity on Sirius' bewildered expression. "It's what he does."

"Not all the time!" Cormack snapped. "We have other important duties to fulfill as well, but I won't waste my time – "

"We understand that," Dalrae interjected. "I'd just rather you didn't scare Sirius away."

"I wasn't going to!" Cormack growled, glaring at her.

"Can we move on?" Katri asked. "I've had enough of the arguing for now."

Liam sniggered at the look Cormack had at that comment.

"It sounds like you've all been here for a while," Sirius said. He guessed that it had to be true, since the group seemed to get along well enough, apart from a few squabbles.

Katri snorted. "It didn't take much to figure out, did it?"

He shook his head. "Not really; it's the vibe you give off."

"I can see how that would do it…"

Cormack pat the worgen on the back. "Ross and I have been here for nearly two months. The lasses over there arrived about a week later. Liam came the one after that."

Ross nodded in agreement. "We weren't put in the same cell as a group for most of the time we've been here."

"We tried escaping a few times already, but they would just separate us for a few days before throwing us back in the same spot again." Cormack grimaced. "The interrogations weren't entirely pleasant either."

"We were caught because you wouldn't adjust the plan when something changed," Dalrae muttered, rolling her eyes. "Besides the fact that you insisted on being in charge of everything each time."

"What kind of plans were they?" Sirius asked, looking over towards Cormack.

"It would take too long to explain right now," he replied. Appearing to take careful note of all the eyes on him he added: "If you have an idea, it would be easier to tell us; we'll let you know if it's been done."

Sirius stared at him for a moment, and then realized he wasn't the only one. Cormack's statement was met with a few nods of approval. He had an odd urge to laugh at the situation but he decided to refrain, at least to save Cormack from any more embarrassment. After a few moments of thinking and hoping everything would work out, Sirius straightened and glanced around the room a final time.

"I'm not sure if it would work just yet, but here's what I think we could do…"

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_I know it's a little short, but writing this scene was a lot like pulling teeth. I just had to finish it and get it out there so that I can move on to the next part, which has been swimming around in my head for a while now. Anyway, to save on words, I'm not going to answer any reviews this time around._

_Until next time, peace out!_

_Shadowcaster01_


	15. Running blind

_Hey guys,_

_For some reason, the site doesn't think I updated Sunday when I did. I thought that replacing a chapter would count in that sense, but apparently it doesn't. Weird, huh? Anyway, I promised that it wouldn't take long to put up the next chapter, and I'm keeping that promise. You might want to go back and read 14 again, though, since I replaced the message._

_Here's part 15._

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**Running blind**

It had been yet another long day at the logging camp. Sirius was pleasantly surprised when the guards had actually let him stay near his cellmates for the next few days. It made enduring the work much easier that time around. He didn't seem to attract as much attention from the other prisoners, who apparently seemed to think that working on your own was a bad thing. Sirius could understand the sentiment, since they were surrounded by enemy guards. There was also less sniggering when he passed by, which was a relief. Sirius wasn't sure how long he could take the quiet jokes made about him just out of earshot. Even if they denied it, he knew it was true.

The group he was with seemed to prefer working in a companionable silence; although there were a few meaningful glances passed around shortly after the wagon dropped them off. Sirius was able to engage the others in the occasional conversation, which allowed him to further acquaint himself with the people he was with. When all talk would stop for a while, Sirius took the chance to look around and commit it all to memory.

It was surprising how much he was able to find out about them all so far. The dark cell made it difficult to adjust to the changes he'd been through more recently, and it was the first time he'd ever shared one with other people. He found it to be refreshing; however much he'd prefer to be free of armed, hostile guards, hard labor and small spaces surrounded by stone walls and metal bars.

Cormack's moods seemed to shift quite often. One moment he'd be mostly serene or good natured and the next would have the dwarf ranting about something completely different that had somehow set him off. He'd learned from the others that it was best to give Cormack his space and let his temper run its course. They'd always clear the area well before it began, though, so Sirius had to constantly keep an eye out.

Dalrae appeared to be stoic for the majority of the time they spent outdoors; her expression was unreadable. It was strange to see such a slight person lift so much weight – it was bewildering, and Sirius sometimes found it hard not to stare. The draenei was strange enough already; she towered over him by at least half a foot, and apparently came from an alien planet. How much weirder could things get? When she caught Sirius staring a few hours earlier she'd simply raised a delicate eyebrow. He'd averted his gaze fairly quickly after that.

There wasn't too much about Liam that he hadn't figured out already. The boy was just a regular teenager by Azeroth's standards, but he was surprised to learn that like Sirius, Liam hadn't taken a particular calling. From the way he'd seen Dalrae and Liam interact, he was sure that it wouldn't take too long for him to choose. The kid seemed to idolize her; he'd caught the boy attempting to mimic her accent a few times the day before last and after being forced to swear never to tell anyone about what he saw, Liam gave him a wide berth.

Ross was an enigma. He hardly spoke; in fact, he hadn't said a word since that one time several nights ago. It made him curious about the reason for it, but Sirius was reluctant to ask, just in case it was something personal. Although he'd scared off the last one he talked to, Sirius still had a few questions and he didn't want to repeat that mistake again. The worgen seemed content to just finish his work in peace. He decided to let it go for now rather than annoy him, Sirius wasn't sure what the other was capable of and had a feeling he'd rather not find out anytime soon.

One thing really bothered him, though. How was Katri able to move so fast? When he'd turned around to grab the axe lying on the ground earlier that afternoon, the dark haired gnome had suddenly appeared next to him as if she'd materialized out of thin air. A moment later and she was gone. He knew that such a thing was possible back home with invisibility cloaks and notice me not spells – apparation could easily be heard a mile away. In this case, he saw no cloak or wand, and heard no sound. Of course, at that moment he heard sniggering. Liam stood off to the side unsuccessfully trying to hide his laughter behind dark hands. Sirius guessed that it was the expression on his face that had done the kid in; he had no other explanation for it.

Cormack laid a hand on Sirius' shoulder. "Is there something wrong?" He asked, smiling broadly around his greying beard.

Sirius scowled. "I don't see what's all that funny," he grumbled, picking up the half-forgotten axe. "I just don't understand how she can just disappear like that…"

The dwarf had chuckled. "Don't worry," he said. "I'd wondered as well. It's best not to think about it too much." He grinned. "It could drive you crazy otherwise."

"What's all this about?" Katri suddenly asked from beside him.

Cormack jumped back with an oath, holding a hand to his chest. Sirius stiffened in surprise, eyes wide. How did she do that? Although the dwarf warned him not to, Sirius found himself wondering for the umpteenth time about the secret behind her trick. The gnome looked up at him, her green eyes shining with amusement. She didn't say a word, but her expression said it all. She knew.

"How?" Sirius found himself blurting out.

She grinned knowingly. "I might tell you about it one day, or I might not. Just know that if you cross me you'll need to watch your back."

Considering the implications, Sirius paled. He was grateful that the Death Eaters had no access to this place. He wasn't sure what could happen otherwise; he just knew that it wouldn't be pleasant for anyone. Unfortunately Voldemort's underlings had him thinking about what he'd left behind. It wasn't the first time it had happened while he was stuck here in this logging camp, and he knew it wouldn't be the last either. At least half of his thoughts revolved around Harry, and all of the possible trauma and danger he could be facing at that very moment. Was he alright?

"Sirius?"

He blinked, and then he grimaced. Sirius didn't even realize that he'd been doing it again. He was sure that it probably worried anyone that he acquainted himself with while he was in Azeroth, but it was hard not to think of home. He'd been away for quite a while already…

Cormack's voice called him again, and Sirius shook his head a little to clear it. The dwarf's face was pulled into a frown, his shrewd gaze half obscured by bushy eyebrows. Katri just looked at him, her expression neutral.

"Are you alright?" Cormack asked him. "You were staring at nothing for a bit there."

Sirius waved him off. "I'm fine," he replied. "Just got lost in thought."

The dwarf sighed in resignation. "If you're sure…" Sirius nodded. "I'll leave you to it, then." Cormack ambled away to continue his work on a particularly stubborn branch a little ways away.

Sirius sighed to himself in relief when Katri followed suit and left him alone for a while. Luckily he only had to put up with another hour or so before the guards came to collect them for the wagon trip back to the cell. For the most part, the ride was a bit unnerving. The forest was still and quiet, which was unusual for the time of day. Sirius remembered hearing a number of birds and various other animals both on the trip to and from the camp. He crossed his arms, leaned back against the side of the wagon and closed his eyes for a moment, collecting his thoughts.

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The wagon made its way along the winding dirt path through thick forest, the deep green leaves shading the view of the darkened sky overhead. A few crickets quit their chirping as the wagon hit and stumbled over a ditch, half throwing the passengers to the side before settling back down again. A pale wolf stalked through the trees off to the side of the trail, slinking low to the ground, as a forest hare bounded past.

The dirt path evened out and widened into a well-used trade road. After a couple of minutes the tall wooden wall of the Horde's base came into view, a long line of raised wooden stakes at least two stories high surrounding a series of sturdy stone buildings. Several sentries nodded to the wagon guards and stepped aside to let them through, sneering at the prisoners as it entered the premises. Sirius and the others remained still until the guards walked around the side to drag them out one by one.

Sirius tensed as he was hauled into the cell block alongside the other prisoners. It was an odd coincidence that, yet again, the guards allowed him near his inmates during the walk back to their cell down the dimly lit corridor. If anything, it made their job much easier. After a few nods were exchanged, Ross knocked one of the guards against the nearest wall. His three companions turned around sharply and were met by the worgen's astonishingly powerful right hook before they had a chance to raise the alarm.

Acting quickly, Katri knelt down and retrieved any weapons the felled guards had with them, passing them over to Dalrae to hold for the moment. The draenei checked over each blade while Cormack and Ross dragged the bodies off to the side to hopefully buy more time. Sirius stood off to the side keeping watch over one end of the corridor, Liam focusing on the other.

Sirius' eyes widened. "What about our stuff?"

Cormack shook his head as he and Ross returned to the group. "We'll have to leave it behind if we want to escape." He sighed wistfully. "There were a few things that I would have loved to keep, though."

"Survival is more important," Dalrae added, frowning as she tossed aside an overly rusted hilt guard. "Items can be replaced."

Sirius' face fell. What was he going to do without his wand? If he left that behind, he'd have no way of surviving in this country. Besides that, there were other things he had that he wanted back; some of them were still at Lor'danel and he had no chance of regaining them if he couldn't use his wand again. When he returned home, he'd be even more defenseless. Sirius wasn't knowledgeable in wandless magic, and even he knew that such a skill was rare if nearly impossible where he came from. Wands accomplished so many things…

He suddenly straightened, mind made up. Although it was going completely against the promise he had made to himself when he first arrived in Lor'danel, Sirius wasn't left with much choice.

"I know how we can get everything back, but you'll have to trust me and ask questions later."

His statement was left with a few confused looks that eventually turned suspicious. Sirius couldn't blame them. How would they expect him to be able to do something that they'd just said was too difficult? He knew that they would be watching him much more closely after this, especially because it would give the impression that he'd been holding out on everyone. They may even accuse him of lying…

"Look, I promise I'll explain afterwards," Sirius pressed on when no one said a word. "Just know that I'm on your side, alright?"

Ross narrowed his eyes and stared him down for a moment, Sirius met his gaze evenly. Seemingly satisfied with what he may have found in Sirius' expression, the worgen nodded. The rest of the group gave Ross questioning looks, but said nothing for the moment.

Cormack raised an eyebrow. "How will you manage to do this?"

Sirius sighed in resignation. "Just watch," he replied. "It's easier for you to see for yourselves."

He stepped back a few paces and closed his eyes in concentration. He wasn't able to see the reactions the others had when the transformation took place, but he did hear a few gasps or oaths of surprise. He smiled inwardly; at least they wouldn't all assume he was incapable of things now, like most in the camp seemed to think. Sirius shook out his fur subconsciously, stretching out his paws with a loud yawn.

When he opened his eyes, Sirius tried to grin. Instead he had to opt for the slightly comical look: mouth wide open, tail wagging, with his tongue lolling out. He heard Liam laugh, and nearly barked in amusement when the boy unthinkingly reached a hand out to pet his fur. After a few moments he reversed it and stood as himself again.

"That's it," he said, smiling slightly at the shell-shocked expression he'd received. "I'm sure that everything that was confiscated would be in some storage room somewhere, so I'm sure I can find it all by tracking my bag. How does that sound?"

Sirius didn't get much of a response, but he noted that a few of them looked hopeful. Although he wasn't familiar with the layout of the building, he knew that his dog nose would be able to lead them out despite the darkness of the corridors. He closed his eyes again and changed back into Padfoot. After communicating to the group that he wanted them to follow, Sirius focused on the faint smell of his bag from somewhere down the hall. He took off in that direction, his new companions running behind him to keep up.

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_There it is…_

_I'm sorry that this is also a bit short; although I was planning on extending this much further, I thought that this was the best way to present the next chapter. I also wanted you all to know that it had been updated. _

_I'm starting work on 16, so I hope to get a good momentum on this for all of you. Gavoon, I'm sorry you feel that way. I guess the best I can explain this would be that this is my interpretation of how Sirius might act when he's not near Harry (which is all we see of him really) or anyone else he knows. Byakugan789, I know what you mean, and I'm trying the best I can to make sure I don't overpower Sirius in Azeroth. _

_Thank you everyone for your patience so far and until next time, peace out!_

_Shadowcaster01_


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